The Calm Before the Storm
by AkaneKitty
Summary: As Razor gives Felina a meaningful gift, Feral meets with an interesting visitor from his past. Meanwhile, Gabriel continues his mission.
1. Be Careful What You Wish For

Hello everyone! New fic time! This is The Calm Before the Storm, the sequel to Drawing the Short Straw.

Megakat City has been unusually calm, and Razor and Felina find themselves thinking of each other from very different places, wishing for something to happen. But be careful what you wish for...

Author's notes: Huzzah! It's time for a new chapter in Razor and Felina's complicated relationship, and how it impacts others. And don't forget about killer ninja robots! Will they ever figure out who sent them?

Thanks to Ulyferal for continuing to be my beta. She makes me look good.

I hope you all enjoy!

AkaneKitty

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The Calm Before the Storm

Be Careful What You Wish For

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**Megakat City Grand Hotel's Ballroom**

Lieutenant Felina Feral sat at table by herself, staring out the ballroom's large windows.

What was she expecting to see? Dark Kat attacking the city? Perhaps the Turbokat streaking by?

She sighed, smoothing her black strapless cocktail gown. The dinner party hosted by the Deputy Mayor was in full swing and here she was, sitting alone, wishing that Razor was here.

She wondered how he was, considering that Megakat City had been in a peaceful state for a while. She told him not to be a stranger, but he hadn't stopped by as far as she could tell. But then again, even though she had a semi normalized schedule as the Master C3 officer, she was still very busy. Maybe she missed him?

Felina smiled a bit. Yeah, she missed him. And not for his bedroom skills. What was it about that tom that made her wish for something to happen? That night had changed some things about herself, and she wasn't particularly happy about it.

For instance, she had still to turn in that report about the robot attacking her. Why was she hesitating? Was it because she broke numerous Enforcer protocols, or that she didn't want her uncle worrying about something he couldn't act upon? Giving him a report now would spoil the good mood her uncle had been enjoying for the past few weeks. Sure he was still busy, but he actually caught up on his work.

Turning in that report would change all that.

Feeling guilty, Felina turned her attention down to her paws. What was that saying about idle paws? Maybe she should do her own investigation about the robot and then turn in her report. At least it would give her uncle much more to work with.

And as for Gunny...

"Felina!"

Felina snapped out of her thoughts as Callie walked up to her table, looking great in a deep purple gown. She gently placed a paw on Felina's shoulder.

"Hey, you looked like you were deep in thought."

"Yeah"

Callie smirked. "Thinking about the tom you have yet to tell me about?"

Felina chuckled, feeling her mood lighten. No sense in hiding that from her friend. "I was."

"Are you going to at least give me some clue about your mysterious tom?" Callie sat down in a chair across from Felina. "You owe me! I bolstered your confidence, remember?"

"All right, all right. I can at least do that."

"Spill it!"

"Okay. He's..." Felina thought for a moment before coming up with a clue that could describe anyone. "...a martial artist."

Callie blinked. "Martial artist?"

"Mmm, hmm."

"Felina, you're an Enforcer! You would know tons of martial artists!"

Once again, Felina couldn't help herself. "Bingo."

Callie made some angry noises, so Felina knew she had distracted her friend for now. She directed her attention to the glint of light coming from her friend's right paw. "I see Uncle got you a new ring."

"You think anyone's noticed it?" Stopping her grumblings, Callie held up her paw to admire it. It was a pretty emerald. "I'd hate to out our relationship before we're both ready, but I couldn't wait to wear it!"

"It'll probably be in the gossip rags tomorrow but that's nothing new."

"True." Callie softly smiled. "I think this was a makeup gift of sorts."

"Not makeup sex?" Felina smirked. "That's the best kind, you know."

Callie blushed. "Yeah, yeah."

"So," Felina's voice took on a teasing tone, "When are you going to get a ring for the left paw?"

Callie's blush deepened. "W-We're not that serious, Felina!"

"Aww...But you would make a great Auntie!"

Still blushing Callie hurried away, recovering quickly enough to greet some new guests. Chuckling, Felina stood up, remembering she would have to be a positive representative for the Enforcers. Which meant she would have to mingle.

She hoped no one would ask how she carried her gun while wearing this type of dress.

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The Boss could feel the frostiness radiating from his sister.

Riding in his limo, the Boss shifted uncomfortably in his seat as his sister sat across from him, her head turned so she could look out the window. He sighed. He knew why she was so upset with him and hoped the surprise waiting at the dinner party would change her mood. He cleared his throat.

"Mimi..."

"Don't you dare call me that after what you did to my request!"

"I had to! No sister of mine will do any kind of killing! That's grunt work!"

"At least I would be helping the Syndicate! I was trained to do that, remember?"

"You were trained to lots of things, Mimi! And your condition..."

"Don't lecture me about my condition! I live with it! I know it!" Mimi turned her head to look at her brother, her blue eyes blazing. "Let me help the Syndicate!"

"In other respectable ways benefiting the Boss' sister."

"Nyk!"

The Boss heard her nyk, but he let it slide. He couldn't be mad at his sister, even if she had a tendency to nyk at him when she was upset.

Nyks from other Siamese were not tolerated.

After a moment of icy silence, Mimi spoke again. "So what is this dinner party you're taking me to?"

"It's something the mayor's office arranged. It's for my 'legitimate' job."

"Sounds boring."

"Maybe. Maybe not."

Mimi looked puzzled as the limo lurched to a stop. The Boss waited until his door opened then stepped out, extending his paw back for his sister.

As she exited she shed her icy persona to become a demure young lady, looking radiant in a simple fitted sapphire blue gown that highlighted her eyes. The Boss chuckled. Leave it to Mimi to know exactly how she should act in public.

Taking his offered arm, Mimi allowed herself to be guided into the hotel, smiling pleasantly whenever her brother stopped to chat with someone. Finally they reached the ballroom, where the Boss paused just inside the entrance. Mimi waited as he scanned the crowd.

"Who are you looking for?"

The Boss smiled as he inclined his head toward the center of the ballroom. "Her."

Lieutenant Felina Feral looked great on the Doc's screens. But in the fur she looked amazing.

The short, black, and fitted cocktail dress she wore showed off her ample curves, as well as her athletic body. As she chatted with a group of she-kats, the Boss could feel her confidence roll off her. While the Deputy Mayor was lovely, the Lieutenant was smoldering.

Feeling uncharacteristically weak in the knees, the Boss reminded himself to drop more money into Doc's research and development accounts.

Mimi grasped her brother's arm tighter. "Is that..."

"Surprise Naomi."

"Lieutenant Felina Feral!" Naomi whispered, still clutching her brother's arm. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"And ruin the surprise?" The Boss chuckled. "Come now. We'll make our circuit, and then we'll see if we can get an introduction."

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**Sports City Bar**

Jake Clawson was annoyed.

Not at his meal of fishburger and fries nor the beer he was drinking and not even the game he was trying to watch in the bar he was sitting in.

It was the giggling and cooing to his left that made him burn with irritation.

He sighed. As there weren't any megavillians to go after in the past few weeks to break the monotony, it left him and his soon to be ex-friend Chance Furlong with tons of free time.

Jake used the majority of the time to do research, develop, and modify his tools. And maybe do an occasional patrol. His "friend" however used most of _his_ free time to be with the she-kat that was giggling in his friend's ear right now.

He wasn't jealous of Chance. He was happy he found someone. But for his girlfriend to show up to a place his buddy dragged him to in order to 'wind down' was very suspicious.

Jake started playing with his food. He wished he had taken up Felina's offer to not be a stranger. But every time he gathered his courage, something with Chance, the Turbokat, or the Cyclotron came up.

He sighed. Wasn't he just using them as excuses?

He was beginning to really miss the lovely Master C3 officer. Not for the sex, just for her company, how they had connected over gun fights and explosions and, more than ever, although he loved being Razor, he was beginning to hate that he had to be a SWAT Kat in order to see her.

Because there was no way she would fall for a grease jockey like former Enforcer Jake Clawson.

"Jake!" Chance punched his buddy with one paw as his other was wrapped around his girlfriend. "Did you see that shot?"

"It was great!" Chance's girlfriend, Nikki or Nichole...Jake couldn't remember which, giggled.

"It was fantastic." Jake said dully.

"Hey," Chance finished eating the french fries stuffed into his mouth. "Nichole said she has friend that she can hook you up with. Maybe we can double date later."

"Really?" His voice dripped with disinterest.

Normally Jake would jump all over that, but with the way he was feeling it wouldn't be fair to Nichole's friend. He also wasn't being a good friend to Chance right now.

Razor needed to take a ride to clear his head.

Pushing away his plate, Jake stood up and dropped some money onto the bar. Reaching for the truck keys, he glanced back at Chance and smiled.

"You can get a ride back, right? I need to take care of some things back at the garage."

"I can get a ride with Nichole, but, are you okay buddy?" Concern etched into Chance's face. "You're looking..."

"I'll be fine." Jake patted his friend on the shoulder and nodded to Nichole. "Nice meeting you Nichole."

Jake turned on his heel and walked away, heading out of the bar. Chance could only look on in concern. Ever since that night when he'd sprung that short straw on Jake, it seemed like his buddy had changed.

Did something happen that night? If so, why wasn't his friend saying anything? Or maybe he was too wrapped up in Nichole to notice?

Sighing inwardly, Chance allowed himself to be nuzzled by Nichole, a cold chill running through him when another thought surfaced.

Maybe, just maybe, their friendship was changing.


	2. Conflicted

Hi everyone! New chapter time!

Felina unknowingly meets the Boss of the Syndicate, who takes more than a passing interest in her, causing her to have conflicting feelings. Meanwhile, Razor discovers a clue he didn't know he had. Will this finally reveal who created the lethal robots?

Author's notes: Wow! I'm very humbled and flattered you like my story, and I'm only on the second chapter! Thank you very much! I hope everyone will continue to like Razor and Felina's story.

How many guessed Mimi was Naomi Ling? I like her character, so she tends to pop up in other stories of mine. She's been reworked for this story, but she's still the Barracuda! She's just not butting heads with Callie anymore.

Another character is referenced in this chapter. Can you guess who it is? Bonus points if you can guess who I based them after.

Thanks always to my beta Ulyferal, who makes me look good.

Enjoy!

AkaneKitty

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The Calm Before the Storm

Conflicted

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Felina slowly made her way through the dinner guests to get to her friend's side.

The Deputy Mayor was amicably talking to a well dressed Siamese couple whose clothing allowance probably would have bankrupted the city's budget three times over.

From their body language Felina could tell they weren't lovers, more like good friends, or possibly even family. The fawn colored she-kat wore a gown that matched her blue eyes, and her long brown hair was twisted up into an elegant knot. She was cute...Not really her type, but cute.

The tom however...

He was almost as tall as her uncle but with a smaller build, so she knew the suit that he wore had to be tailored. He had darker blue eyes than his she-kat guest, and had cream colored fur that stood out against his black suit. Just by the way he carried himself, she could tell he was the type of kat who demanded and earned respect.

He was handsome...but the power radiating from him made him sexy.

A stab of guilt struck her then as she remembered Razor, so she squelched that thought before she ended up at Callie's side. The Siamese eyes settled on her with a look of admiration laced with interest.

"Felina, this is Xiao Ling and his sister Naomi. Xiao is a junior associate of Mr. Young," Callie introduced, nodding at the pair. "Mr. Ling, this is Lieutenant Felina Feral of the Megakat City Enforcers."

"A pleasure to meet you," she said urbanely, extending her paw.

To her slight surprise, Xiao grasped it and brought up to his lips to kiss, making her pulse quicken slightly. He held it for a mere moment longer before releasing it.

"The pleasure is mine," Xiao replied, smiling a bit. "I've read in the papers that you are the new C3 officer for the Enforcers. Congratulations."

Felina noted that Xiao appeared to be very disarming when he wanted to be. "Thank you."

"My sister is a practicing criminal attorney so she's become a big fan of yours." Xiao nudged his sister, who blushed. "She loved the story about how the Ghost was captured."

Felina was surprised. A fan of hers?

"I'm rather fragile so I couldn't get into law enforcement and opted for law school instead." Naomi blushed again and gripped Xiao's arm tighter. "Since my brother and I arrived in Megakat City, I've been following your stories in the news. It's something I wish I could do."

"I see." Felina smiled at her. "Well, since you liked the Ghost case, I can tell you some off the record details if you'd like."

"Really?" Naomi turned to her brother expectantly, who nodded.

"Go on. I still need to speak with Ms. Briggs."

Happily, Naomi left with Felina, walking over to a quiet table in a corner of the ballroom to talk. Smiling, Xiao bowed his head toward Callie.

"Mr. Young deeply regrets not being able to attend this function tonight," Xiao said blandly, clearly a rote statement but in the next instant, he lowered his voice to say more confidentially, "because he is at the Megakat Springs Golf Course with Mayor Manx."

Callie laughed lightly. "So that's where he went. Nice of the Mayor not to inform me."

"And yet here we are, doing all the grunt work." Xiao extended his arm to Callie. "Let us take care of some pesky negotiations so we can enjoy the rest of our evening."

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Razor wrapped his mask around his head.

He needed to get out. Get some fresh air and purge his thoughts of Felina.

Slipping on his gloves, Razor reached into his locker that contained his g-suits and his racing leathers. Grabbing his jacket, he pulled it out.

It was the same jacket that was damaged when the robot exploded. He never did get around to repairing it, so it sat in his locker all this time. Razor ran his claws along the tears. He had some wonderful memories attached to this jacket.

Smiling ruefully, Razor was about to put the jacket back in the locker when he heard something clatter to the ground. Curious, he searched the floor and, there, not far from his feet, was a small black plastic device with what appeared to be metal prongs. Bending down, he scooped it up.

"A memory chip?"

Realization dawned on him. This was the robot's chip! He bet that self destruct was designed to destroy it along with other evidence, but it ended up in his jacket somehow.

With thoughts about taking a ride leaving him, Razor distractedly put his jacket away then hurried to his lab in the corner of the hanger. The little lab housed all the tools required for the technical side of SWAT Kat work, like programming guidance systems for his missiles.

Sitting at his desk, he slid the chip into the card reader attached to his computer, hoping that who ever designed the robot didn't think to have it fry the chip before it self destructed.

Words appeared on his monitor, and Razor smirked. Encrypted, just as he suspected. Cracking his knuckles, he began typing on the keyboard, looking at the output on his screen.

There was nothing he couldn't crack.

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"Please hold for secure connection."

Standing outside the ballroom in an enclosed terrace, Xiao smoked an expensive Spanish cigar as he waited for his call to be routed through several cutouts before it was securely connected.

Even though he was sure the call couldn't be hacked due to Doc's programs and his cell phone being swept for bugs daily, he resolved to speak as cryptically as possible in Siamese. The Syndicate valued security, and as its Boss he owed it to the other seven families to at least practice what he preached.

Thankful that the terrace offered a view of Felina and Naomi chatting, Xiao appreciated the view of the beautiful Lieutenant before he heard the click of a connection. He exhaled his smoke, speaking in Siamese.

_"Hello?"_

_"Boss? It's me_." Xiao recognized the caller as Zhen, his right pawed kat. If he was calling, something must be wrong. He would never interrupt his boss' evening frivolously. _"I'm sorry to interrupt your evening."_

_"Don't be."_ Xiao smiled as he watched the hemline of Felina's dress crawl up her thigh as she crossed her legs. _"I'm just enjoying a bit of sightseeing."_

Zhen didn't know what to think of that, so he launched into his bad news. _"One of our processing centers was hit tonight. Over a million dollars worth of our product went up in smoke."_

Xiao knew that product had to be their specially designed katnip, desired on the streets due to its potency. He sighed, taking another puff off his cigar. _"The Angel of Death?"_

_"The Angel of Death. No one else could do that amount of damage."_

Xiao bit down on his cigar in anger. Recently a tom of some kind was hitting key Syndicate centers, whether it be processing or observation. Anything that could hamper Syndicate interests. He was nicknamed the Angel of Death by the survivors due to his black wraith-like state, and the mercy he showed to those who were injured.

He always sent a message with the survivors: **I am your punishment.**

_"This was the third center!"_ Xiao growled into the phone. _"We needed the money the product produced in order to funnel it into legitimate organizations! Who was in charge?"_

_"The Fifth Family."_

_"Ah. Those idiots. It is only because of their connections that they have such a valuable spot in our organization."_ Xiao blew away smoke._ "How did you find out what happened?"_

_"Doc called me. He was monitoring emergency bands and a distress call came through."_ Zhen said. _"He also thinks the Fifth Family was trying to cover it up."_

_"What!"_ Xiao nearly crushed the cigar between his claws. _"This is an offense to our Values. Initiate demotion procedures. I'll explain to the Council in the next meeting."_

_"Yes, sir."_

Xiao felt his anger subside a bit as he watched his sister laugh. She was obviously enjoying herself. _"Also, see if you can get my sister a position in the DA's office."_

_"The DA, sir?"_

_"Yes. Doc can't trace everything, and we need someone there just in case."_ Xiao extinguished his cigar. _"Get it done."_

Xiao ended the call, and tossed his cigar butt into a smoker's receptacle. Straightening his suit, he prepared himself to reenter the dinner party.

It was time to have a bit of fun.

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A few minutes after Naomi excused herself, Felina saw Xiao walking up to her table. He seemed a bit on edge...like he had received some distressing news and he did not seem to be the type of tom that took news like that lightly. He smiled at her.

"May I join you?"

"Of course Mr. Ling."

"Call me Xiao." The tom sat down, smoothing his suit as he did so. "I hope my sister didn't monopolize all your time. She can get very animated when she talks about her favorite subjects."

"It was a pleasure talking with her. She was like an eager Enforcer recruit." Felina smiled. "It was nice talking to someone who didn't want to know where I'm hiding my gun."

Xiao himself wanted to ask where she hid her gun on that body, but he held his tongue. "I'm surprised at not seeing the Commander here. He usually shows up at these engagements."

"The Commander had another engagement, so the duty fell to me. I'm sure you'll see him again soon."

Xiao leaned forward, lowering his voice. "Will I see you again?"

Felina had to give the tom credit. That was very smooth. Showing that he's interested, but not being creepy about it.

"I usually handle Enforcer logistics, but you never know," she murmured. "Though I'm sure you'll see me downtown. I am the liaison to the mayor's office."

"I see." Xiao turned his attention toward the smallish dance floor where a few couples were dancing. "Would you care for a dance? I need to do something to get into the society pages or Mr. Young will have a fit about me not mingling."

She was about to agree when thoughts of Razor surfaced again, and Felina fought to push them back down. It was only going to be a dance, so why did she feel so guilty?

Composing herself, she extended her paw to Xiao, who took it and began leading her to the dance floor. As they waited for another song start, Felina allowed herself one last thought about Razor.

Gunny, you'd better stop being a stranger.


	3. Frustrations

Hello everyone! Here's a new chapter!

While Jake contemplates telling Chance a highly abbreviated version of current events in order to get his friend off his back, Felina is frustrated by her attempts to find out anything new about the robots.

Author's notes: Sorry about the delay! My lovely twins started walking and I've been chasing after them. Have you seen the Huggies commercial where the dad is chasing his kid during a dinner party? That's my life...times two.

Thanks for all the reviews! I'm so flattered that people are enjoying my stories.

Did you notice that Chance and Jake have very different ways of killing time while there's nothing going on? Or that Chance isn't in a hurry to be T-Bone again?

Korat is a cat breed that originated in Thailand. Just store this information away for now.

Special thanks to Ulyferal for being my great beta.

Thanks for reading! I hope you all enjoy!

AkaneKitty

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The Calm Before the Storm:

Frustrations

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**The Salvage Yard...the next day...**

Jake munched on some cereal, mindlessly watching TV.

It had taken the better part of the night, but he managed to decrypt the robot's memory chip. But now the problem was gleaning any viable information from it. Who ever designed the robot had the information stored in such a way that it would take a key of some sort to figure it all out.

No wonder the designer didn't fry the chip. The information would be useless to anyone if they decrypted it without the key.

Smiling to himself, Jake reached for the cereal box at his feet, refilling his bowl. He felt invigorated. With no villains attacking the city, his life as Razor was filled with routine but boring work. He did create some new glovatrix ammo that could possibly take out those robots if he ever ran across them again, but that was about it. It was more about maintaining his weapons and tools, just in case.

Finding the chip redirected his energy, and he was glad Razor now had an excuse to see Felina again.

...Like he really needed it.

Jake was about to change the channel when Chance strolled in with a huge grin on his face. Resisting the urge to roll his eyes by jamming the spoon into his mouth, he nodded toward his friend.

"Morning. Long night?"

"You bet!"

Plopping down on the couch, Chance reached into Jake's cereal box with his paw. "You took off so suddenly last night. What's up?"

"I had sudden inspiration about the new missile guidance system I've been working on."Jake lied, feeling a bit guilty. "It's been a real bitch."

Seemingly accepting that answer, Chance nodded as he turned his attention toward the television. "What are you watching?"

"Some gossip show. I was about to change the channel."

"Isn't this the same show that said the Commander and Callie were dating?"

"Yep."

"Like that'll be true."

"You never know." Jake shrugged, spooning cereal into his mouth. "They did spot Callie wearing a big ring at some dinner party last night."

"Right," Chance scoffed, reaching into the cereal box again. "And soon you'll be telling me that you fucked Felina."

Jake nearly choked on his cereal, and he was very glad Chance was busy watching the gossip show. The show switched to coverage of the dinner party, and Chance sat upright.

"Wow!"

"What?" Barely catching his breath, Jake turned his attention toward the television...and his heart skipped a beat.

There on the screen was Felina, looking lovely in a black dress. It wasn't as hot as the dress she wore a few weeks ago, that one had looked classier. Jake grinned to himself. No way was she able to hide any of her curves in that dress.

"Where was she hiding that body?" Chance exclaimed, eyes glued to the TV.

"Who knows?" Jake replied, suppressing the sudden urge to throttle Chance. "Enforcer uniforms aren't designed for fashion."

"I'll say. She should dress down more often." Chance tore his eyes away from the screen. "Hey, Nichole said her friend will be in a couple of nights. Want to do a double?"

"I don't know..."

"Why not? Weren't you mad because I didn't find you a friend?"

"I was mad at you for giving me the short straw on a patrol night." Jake put his bowl down and crossed his arms. "Especially since you knew I wanted to test the Cyclotron. Which failed miserably due to your shoddy wiring, by the way."

Chance sighed audibly. "Look, do you want to double date or not?"

In that instant, Jake briefly considered telling Chance about his encounter with Felina, but dismissed it just quickly. Felina was too sensitive and too volatile a subject. Even though he hated keeping secrets from his friend, he couldn't...and wouldn't... betray her confidence.

But he also couldn't accept the double date. Not yet, anyway. It would be terribly unfair to Nichole's friend, and he wasn't that concerned about keeping up appearances to do something like that.

Maybe an abbreviated, highly censored account of his night with Felina would get Chance off his back. Sure Chance would be curious, but he could dodge answering who, what, when, and how questions for now.

Summoning his courage, Jake took a deep breath. "Look Chance...I..."

"Yeah?"

Suddenly Chance's cell phone rung. The tabby leaped from the couch, running to his room faster than when the klaxon alarm summoned them as SWAT Kats. Jake sighed.

It must be Nichole...again.

Shaking his head, Jake picked up his bowl and cereal box, dumping them in the kitchen before returning to the hangar. He still had work to do on that chip.

By the time Chance returned to hear what his friend was going to say, Jake was gone.

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**Enforcer Headquarters**

Felina sighed in frustration.

Sitting in her small office, she took a minute to stretch, listening to her ancient printer churn out crime reports by district as well as keeping an ear open to the chatter her radio produced. While paperwork was the bane of every law enforcement official, this wasn't the case at the moment.

While she waited for the reports to finish printing, she dug through Enforcer records, searching for anything recent about robots. Not surprisingly, nothing came up in her search. Not even the report on the Metallikats reactivating and being destroyed by the SWAT Kats months ago made it to her computer screen.

These robots were so new that the Enforcers hadn't encountered them before, and outside agencies hadn't either.

Still frustrated, Felina was about to grab her radio to ask for a quick status report when her office door opened. Immediately she stood up, stiffening her spine as Feral entered her office.

"...Am I that obvious?" He chuckled, closing the door behind him.

"You're the Commander, Uncle. No one else has the right to barge into offices without knocking, and that includes the majors." Felina replied, sitting back down.

"True." Feral turned his attention to Felina's printer, which was struggling to print out a report. "We need better office equipment."

"Tell me about it! I started that print job over an hour ago since I have a public safety meeting to get to and it's still not finished!"

"Hmm...Maybe I should use one of my budget concessions to upgrade our office equipment." Feral mused aloud.

"Districts first, Uncle. High Command can wait."

"Speaking of districts, if the northern districts are still upset about the new katnip problem tell them I need more cooperation. If they worry about a visible Enforcer presence being an eyesore, then the crime rates going up will be worse."

"Yes sir."

"By the way, how was the dinner party?" Feral walked over to Felina's desk and leaned against it. "From what I hear you were a great Enforcer representative."

Felina blushed. "It was fine. I had some nosy fems wondering how I could afford to wear a Puma dress on an Enforcer salary, but that was the only negative."

Feral smirked. "They don't know us very well, do they?"

"That we're not Enforcers for the money? Or that the family fortune could operate three city-states?"

"Last time I heard it was four. Five on a good trading day."

"So..." Felina asked slyly, "When am I going to get a new Auntie?"

Feral coughed to cover his slight embarrassment. "W-We're not that serious!"

"That's what she said too!"

"Felina..."

"All I'm saying is that grandma probably wants another set of grandkittens by now."

"She told you?"

"I'm her favorite for a reason."

Feral rolled his eyes. "So what you're saying is..."

"That you'd be a great dad."

"You think so?"

"I know so." Felina heard her printer grind to a halt and picked up the briefcase sitting beside her desk. "Anyone who can keep ground and air defense from killing each other everyday would be a great dad. We all act like a bunch of kittens anyway."

"Really?"

"Besides," Felina hurried over to her printer and began stuffing the printed reports into her briefcase, "you've had great practice with me."

Feral didn't know how to respond so he watched as his niece headed to her door. Turning back, she smiled at him.

"Well, I'm off to the public safety meeting." Felina smirked again. "Anything you want for me to say to your wife?"

Feral's voice has slight edge to it to show he meant business but he couldn't help but smile at his niece. "Get going, Lieutenant."

"Yes, sir!"

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**The Ling Residence**

"Mr. Ling, I must congratulate you for securing our deal with the Deputy Mayor. However, was it necessary to concede that much? We are already over budget for the Siamesetown project."

Xiao rolled his eyes as he sat back in his leather chair. Sitting at the head of a long oak table located in his home's conference room, he was glad he was talking to his "boss" via speaker phone.

Situated in the heart of Megakat City's booming Siamesetown District, the Ling residence could be considered a compound, with various residences sprawled throughout its massive grounds. The main residence housed Xiao's personal quarters as well as the conference room, which featured telecommuting equipment so he could easily communicate with the other Families located in other city-states.

Forcing himself to sound pleasant yet slightly subservient, Xiao spoke to the speakerphone located in front of him. "Mr. Young, I had to appease Ms. Briggs in some way. Apparently she found out that you and Mayor Manx had decided to play some nighttime golf instead of attending the dinner party."

A nervous cough was heard over the speakers. "That may be true, but..."

"Remember that rates in other city-states would be triple that of what the Deputy Mayor asked for." Xiao replied. "Besides, I'm sure you will recoup the money conceded when the Siamesetown Project is completed. The Siamesetown District here is quite a hot property."

Xiao heard an exasperated sigh. "Very well, Mr. Ling."

"If you'll excuse me sir, I must get to city hall so the Deputy Mayor can sign the papers. Unless you want the honor of doing this yourself..."

"No, you are quite capable." Mr. Young said quickly. "Goodbye Mr. Ling."

Xiao waited until he heard the dial tone before he exhaled the breath he found himself holding. "Idiot."

"If only he knew how close his business came to being taken over by the Korats. Then he'd sound more grateful."

Xiao turned to see Naomi entering the conference room, a thick folder stuffed with papers in her paws. Because of the interview she would be attending in the DA's office, she was dressed in a striking black suit with her hair pulled into a French roll. Walking up to the table, she tossed the folder in front of her brother.

"The paperwork for the deal you worked out with the Deputy Mayor. It checks out."

"Thank you." Xiao rubbed his temples. "If only I didn't need a front to funnel the Syndicate's money through. I would have taken over Young's business years ago! I hate working for that dunce."

"Questioned your deal?"

"More like the funding." Xiao reached into a pocket to pull out one of his Spanish cigars. "He has no qualms sinking money into that pit called Megakat Towers, but a booming district that's generating money he questions? He's an idiot."

Naomi made sympathetic noises. "You're tense, dear brother. Perhaps if you had asked the lovely Lieutenant out on a date, you would be in a better mood."

"It's too soon. We've only just met." Xiao glanced at her. "There will be other opportunities in the future."

"I sense cold paws."

"Mimi..."

"Ask her soon, brother. You deserve to have a little fun while we're stuck in this city." Naomi smoothed her suit. "Now I must go for my interview. I don't want to be late."

Naomi began walking away as Xiao pulled out a lighter. "Good luck."

"Thank you." Naomi smiled back at him, a predatory glint coloring her eyes.

"It'll be nice to become the Barracuda again."


	4. Angel of Death

Hello everyone! New chapter time for The Calm Before the Storm!

While Jake and Chance exchange heated words, the Angel of Death himself, Special Agent Gabriel Leon, arrives in Megakat City! Will his appearance affect Razor and Felina's budding relationship?

Author's notes: Phew! Finally a new chapter! Sorry about the delay. My darling 16 month old twin girls started walking and getting into everything, so that cut down my time to write.

After being hinted and talked about since Drawing the Short Straw, the Angel of Death makes his first appearance! He's mostly Mack Bolan with a touch of Jason Bourne mixed in.

Special thanks to ulyferal for getting this to me quickly.

Thanks for reading and reviewing! I'm flattered and so. And I still get great hits on Drawing the Short Straw, too!

Enjoy, and let me know what you think.

Thanks again,

AkaneKitty

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The Calm Before the Storm

Angel of Death

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_"Welcome to Megakat City International Airport! The local time is..."_

A tall, well-built ebony tom with striking blue eyes emerged from MCIA customs, barely mindful of the announcements coming over the speakers. Dressed in a simple grey dress shirt and black slacks, he easily blended into the throng of katizens on their way to the various baggage claim kiosks located near the airport's exits.

But Special Agent Gabriel Leon had no luggage as he liked to travel light. All that he needed was located in an airport locker he already had a key for. The locker area would be his final stop before heading to the car rental kiosks.

He felt the cell phone vibrate in his pocket so he fished it out, a faint smirk playing on his lips as he read the display. Pressing a button, Gabriel raised the phone to his ear.

"_Da._"

"Welcome to Megakat City! I hope your flight was pleasant."

"First class usually is."

"True." The caller then switched topics. "Representatives of the Fourth Family would like to meet you. Be at the Siamese Botanical Gardens in an hour. Sniff some of the golden butterfly orchids. I'm sure you can find them."

The caller disconnected, so Gabriel waited a few seconds before dialing a number by memory. As usual, he waited for the call to be routed through several cutouts before finally connecting.

"Gabriel!"

"I'm in, Hermes."

"That was fast."

"I'm sure my cleanup work against the Korats helped. The Siamese and the Korats are bitter enemies."

"I'll say. We're always left cleaning up the mess."

Gabriel nodded to himself. "The Fourth Family wants me to meet them at the Siamese Botanical Gardens in an hour, so I need a layout fast."

"Done."

"Also, they called as soon as I cleared customs, so their information network may be more robust than we thought."

"Still looking into it." Hermes replied. "Did you receive our care package?"

"Not yet."

"Let us know if you need anything else. I figure this will be one of your most extensive missions."

"Will do. I'll keep you posted."

Signing off, Gabriel finally arrived at the locker banks. Taking a key out of his pocket, he glanced at the locker numbers before sliding the key into a slot. The locker door sprang open and he retrieved a large black duffel bag from its depths. Slinging the bag over his shoulder, he slammed the locker door closed, not bothering to check its contents.

Everything he needed would be there.

Turning on his heel, Gabriel was about to head to the car rental kiosks when he spotted a flower cart. It wasn't unusual; carts such as these made money from kats wanting to give their loved ones gifts as soon as they exited their planes. Walking up to it, he caught the attention of a bored she-kat flipping through a magazine. She gave him a sparkling smile.

"May I help you?"

"Do you make deliveries to Enforcer Headquarters?"

The she-kat continued to smile as if she heard the request a thousand times before. "My partner does and it'll cost you extra. Enforcer security is a big hassle."

"Then I'd like a dozen white roses delivered. Today, if you can."

"Sure." The she-kat pulled out a pad. "Who is receiving the roses?"

A smile formed on Gabriel's lips.

"Lieutenant Felina Feral."

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_**The Salvage Yard Exercise Room**_

Jake wiped a paw across his sweaty brow.

Tired after doing a series of upside down pull-ups with punches, he let himself hang upside down from his pull up bar. Hopefully the blood rushing down to his brain would help him think more clearly.

He was getting nowhere with the robot's chip. Jake had to admit the chip's creator was good. All of his brute force attempts to figure out the key were stymied by the chip's programing.

He had to figure out another way.

Still upside, Jake centered his breathing, swinging slightly so he wouldn't pass out. He'd bet Professor Hackle wouldn't have such trouble. In fact, he could have this chip decrypted by now and...

That's it!

He could visit Professor Hackle and get his help to fully decrypt the chip. The Professor had to have some knowledge or a tool that could help, and Jake could use all the help he could get.

Swinging to a stop, Jake "skinned the kat" and flipped backwards off the pull up bar, landing nimbly on his feet.

It was time to put Razor back in action.

"Jake!"

Grabbing a towel, Jake forced himself to not roll eyes as Chance sauntered into the exercise room. His partner looked dressed to kill in a nice shirt and slacks. "Yeah?"

"What are you doing?"

"Working out." Jake wiped the towel across his face. "You should try it sometime."

"Funny." Chase snorted. "But in any case, I'm going out with Nichole and there's still time to do a double with her friend. Want to go?"

"No thanks."

"Why not?"

"I'm going out on patrol." Jake fibbed, surprised that he wasn't feeling a shred of guilt this time. "I'll be gone all night, so don't wait up for me."

Chance looked confused. "Patrol? Why would you want to do that?"

"Making sure kats still know we're alive, keeping my skills sharp..."

"Buddy, you're working too hard. This is the first down time we've had in months and..."

"I'm working too hard? Chance, with all the down time you've been taking with Nichole, I wouldn't be surprised if you've forgotten how to fly the Turbokat!"

"I see." Chance smirked. "I know what this is about. You're jealous!"

"Me? Jealous?" Jake looked at his friend as if he'd grown three heads. "Of what?"

"That I've found a girlfriend. And since I made you draw the short straw you've been taking it out on me for weeks!"

"Idiot!"

Infuriated, Jake stalked up to Chance and jabbed a claw into his friend's chest. "I'm not jealous of your relationship with Nichole. I'm happy for you, damn it!"

"Then why the attitude?" Chance snarled.

"I'm disappointed my friend hung me out to dry that night with a shoddy wiring job. Then when we actually have time to actually show why the SWAT Kats are still needed, you skip out on me! Did it occur to you that I might want to have my friend, and only my friend, sometimes?" Jake spat back. "There are no SWAT Kats if my partner can't prioritize his personal life! I can't do this all by myself!"

Chance blinked and took a step back, a sad realization sinking in. "Jake..."

Jake held up a paw. "Forget it. Have fun with Nichole. Tell her I said hello and that I'm sorry for leaving so abruptly. I'm going to get ready for patrol."

Turning on his heel, Jake left Chance to his thoughts as he exited the exercise room, heading to the hangar.

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_**Siamese Botanical Gardens**_

Gabriel stared down at the golden butterfly orchids.

Eyes protected by expensive sunglasses to ward off the setting sun and dressed in a navy blue suit, Gabriel shifted his stance slightly. His suit, extensively tailored to hide a holstered sidearm, wouldn't stick out too much. The visitors to the gardens would just think he was just another business kat, decompressing his day by looking at flowers.

The fact he was a highly effective and lethal special agent would never be known.

Minutes ticked by, and Gabriel was glad Hermes, his mission controller from The Agency, had managed to send him the layout of the gardens in record time. Knowing every nook and cranny helped him feel less exposed...and be prepared for anything the Syndicate could throw at him.

Gabriel felt movement next to him as a Siamese tom walked up and stood next to him. His body tensed slightly for any possible confrontation, not relaxing when the tom finally spoke.

"The orchids are lovely."

"Indeed. But I prefer roses."

The tom dressed in a black suit tilted his head slightly. "Roses are a nice choice. Which color?"

"White."

"Ah. Everlasting love." The tom nodded. "Interesting coming from a professional hitkat such as yourself."

Gabriel allowed himself a small smile as he recalled that white roses were Felina's favorite. "Interesting, but true."

The tom chuckled, turning to face Gabriel. "But enough of the pleasantries. What should we call you?"

"Jericho."

"Jericho?"

"It's been my name ever since my first boss hired me." Gabriel turned to face the tom, paws clasped in front of him to show no aggression. "No need to change it now."

"Of course." Relaxing slightly, the tom shifted to another subject. "The Fourth Family was very impressed by the way you handled the Korats for your first 'interview'. Nice and clean. Normally we expect brutal violence from those associated with the Russian Blue mafia."

"My former boss was an interesting study. He hated the violence his peers used regularly and opted instead to use violence only when it was needed, with no collateral damage." Gabriel inclined his head. "Lived to a ripe old age. He will be missed."

"My condolences."

The tom offered his paw, and Gabriel accepted it, noting a device of some sort was palmed into his paw. Quickly, he jammed the paw into his pocket.

"The Fourth Family would like to conduct another interview with you. There are sensitive situations just outside of city limits that need to be taken care of, and the details are located on the flash drive I just gave you. Pick one, and we will evaluate your results." The tom stated. "If the Family likes your work, then you will be a member in no time."

Gabriel nodded.

"As a bonus, I've included information on the resident do gooders around here. They're called the SWAT Kats. Eliminate one or both of them and you will be well taken care of."

Gabriel remembered running across mentions of them in his briefings back at The Agency. "Who are the SWAT Kats?"

"Vigilantes that take care of the criminal element around here. They are the biggest threat to the Families right now, even though they are not aware of us at this time." The tom replied. "They haven't been seen regularly since the city hasn't needed them for a while now, and we intend to keep it that way."

"I see."

"The local talent around here doesn't want to deal with them, but someone like yourself might be able to handle them. Consider it a challenge." The tom bowed slightly. "Now I must go. Good luck."

The tom walked away, blending into the throng of visitors beginning to exit the gardens. Heading the opposite way, Gabriel pulled out his compact PDA and plugged the flash drive into it. Pressing a button, the PDA began transmitting the contents of the flash drive back to Hermes at The Agency. His cell phone vibrated, so he placed the PDA back into his pocket and retrieved his phone.

"Downloading your upload as we speak, Gabriel."

"That information came from a flash driven given to me by the Syndicate. Apparently my next targets are on there, so I'll need that data analyzed as soon possible."

"Roger."

"While you do that, I'm going to pay a good friend a visit. Wish me luck."

"Good luck. And tell her we miss her."

"Will do."

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_**Enforcer Headquarters**_

Exiting the elevator, Felina stepped off onto the floor that held her office.

It had been a long day marked with public safety meetings and intense discussions with council members. Callie had slipped away from the meetings to get to a dinner with Feral, and Felina had returned to Headquarters to file some last minute reports before heading home.

Good thing she only had evening shift tomorrow. Now she could relax somewhat.

Casually pinning her hair up, Felina walked over to Maggie's desk, the secretary she shared with other majors. She waited for a lull in Maggie's typing before clearing her throat.

"Hello Maggie."

"Hello Lieutenant." Maggie plucked earphones from her ears. "Have anything for me?"

"Not at this time. Just checking to see if I have anything before I head home."

"Your C3 officers out in the field submitted some reports. I put them on your desk."

"Okay."

"Also," Maggie smiled, "You have a gift waiting in your office."

Felina looked confused. "Gift? What sort of gift?"

"I'm not spoiling the surprise!" Maggie laughed. "Go look and see!"

Puzzled, Felina walked toward her office and opened the door. There, sitting on her desk, was a bouquet of white roses.

Her heart skipped a beat with the thought it could be something Razor would do, but it fell just as fast. There was no way the wizzo could know that white roses were her favorite. And while he might relish the thought of thwarting Enforcer security, he'd be more likely to send her a gun.

Sighing, Felina entered her office and crossed over to her desk. She scanned the bouquet, looking for a card. There was none.

Sitting down at her desk, she stared at the roses. Who could have sent them? Xiao? Maybe, but he'd be more likely to send traditional red. White wasn't a color one would send to an interested party.

Felina heard her official Enforcer cell phone ring, so she retrieved it and held it up to her ear.

"Lieutenant Feral."

"Hello kitten."

Felina froze. There was only one tom who would dare call her that. And there was no reason for him to call. She frowned. "Don't call me kitten, Gabriel."

"Aww...But you seemed to like it when we were rather...intimate."

Felina made an angry noise. "That was in the past. And how are you on official Enforcer channels?"

"You know me, kitten. I can do anything. By the way, we can speak freely. This call isn't being monitored by Enforcer Communications."

Felina silently fumed. Gabriel sensed the lull in conversation and continued talking.

"How do you like the roses? I sent them to congratulate you in your new role as Master C3 officer."

"...They're lovely. Thank you."

"Hermes says hi and that he misses you."

Felina found herself smiling at the thought of her quirky former mission controller. "He's probably monitoring the call now."

"Probably."

"Well, if he isn't, tell him Echo misses him too."

"I will." Gabriel paused. "Look Felina, I..."

"We can't keep doing this Gabriel." Felina cut him off. "I can't keep waiting around for you as you go save the world. I have a few nine lives to live."

"Is this still about Katrina?"

"Katrina is still a big problem. Remember, we Ferals have extremely long memories. And fucking Katrina was NOT vital to your mission!"

"...I suppose I deserved that."

"You deserve a lot more. But that wouldn't do the free world as we know it any favors."

Gabriel chuckled weakly. "Well, I tried."

Felina allowed herself to smile. "You wouldn't be you if you didn't."

"I'll leave you alone for now. But one more thing kitten..."

"Yes?"

"You should keep your hair pinned up more often. I like it."

Shocked, Felina nearly dropped the phone when she heard the dial tone. Spinning around, she leapt from her chair to look outside her window. There were no signs of movement from the buildings surrounding headquarters, but Gabriel was smart and probably far away by now. She sighed.

The Angel of Death was back in Megakat City.


	5. Together Again

Hello everyone! New chapter time!

Deciding Felina needs to be informed about the robot's chip, Razor summons his courage to go see her. Meanwhile, Gabriel prepares for his own mission.

Author's notes: What do you think of Gabriel? This is his first constant appearance since the Happy Hour series. And if you read that, the tone of his and Felina's relationship has changed considerably.

Now that I have finalized my plot, hopefully these chapters will come out a bit quicker. Thanks for being patient and thanks for the reviews!

Thanks also to my beta Ulyferal.

Enjoy!

AkaneKitty

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The Calm Before the Storm

Together Again

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As night crept across Megakat City, Razor raced through its streets.

Keeping to lightly traveled roads, Razor continued his journey to Professor Hackle's laboratory. It was going to be long ride, so he didn't want to draw attention to himself which was why he decided to test a new Cyclotron prototype tonight.

Knowing there might be time where he would enter a situation as Jake Clawson and end up as Razor, he wore not his usual blue and black racing leathers that identified him as a SWAT Kat, but just plain black. The Cyclotron itself was black on the outside, but still carried its normal payload of weapons. This Cyclotron also had a new, quieter engine that still gave Razor the power he needed, but was as quiet as a normal bike.

Of course, right now someone up close would be able to tell he was a SWAT Kat, but he didn't intend to let others get that close. And when he road this bike as Jake, he could easily change into Razor with the simple donning of a mask.

It was mostly Chance's idea.

Razor frowned. That stupid idiot! Thinking he was jealous of him finding a girlfriend. Nope, he was happy for his buddy.

Fucking ecstatic!

What pissed Razor off the most was his current lack of interest in all things SWAT Kat. Sure the city was going through a quiet time, but that didn't mean they became lax about things. He doubted if Dark Kat had attacked the night before, Chance wouldn't have made him take the short straw.

Okay, maybe he was a little miffed that his buddy found someone as Chance and didn't think to ask if she had a friend until much later. But if he didn't draw that short straw and have that breakdown, he wouldn't have been there to help Felina take out that robot and wouldn't have that lovely night afterwards.

Chance was being an idiot, but he was a friend. And he missed him.

He was also missing Felina.

Razor sighed, feeling familiar stirrings in his heart. He was being such a scaredy kat! He hadn't taken up Felina's offer not to be stranger and there wasn't a reason not to. It wasn't like he didn't know her schedule (the Enforcer scheduling computer was easy to hack). Maybe it was because he didn't know what to expect if he did visit. Would she be mad? Moved on? Glad to see him?

And speaking of the Lieutenant...

Rolling to a stop to check his gauges, Razor took a look around. It was Felina's neighborhood. Seemed like some construction finished up, and a new shop opened. The lights on Felina's apartment were still dark. He guessed not many kats had moved in since their last encounter.

Razor absentmindedly patted a pocket containing the robot's chip. Felina didn't know about the chip and fully decrypting it could affect her. She needed to know what he had. Maybe she needed to see Professor Hackle as well.

And he just happened to know Felina was about to go off duty.

Courage building within him, Razor rolled his bike into the familiar alleyway and swung off. Smiling to himself, he began bounding up the fire escape.

It was time to take a chance.

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**Elsewhere...**

Checked into an ordinary motel room, Gabriel looked over his weapons as he conversed with Hermes via the webcam on his laptop.

Due to not knowing how ingrained the Syndicate's information network was into Megakat City's own networks, Gabriel had paid cash for his room. He would use the room for probably another day and then move on. He couldn't afford to get comfortable and complacent when dealing with a crime organization such as the Syndicate.

"The Syndicate's information is amazing. It might even rival The Agency's." Via the webcam, Gabriel saw Hermes run a paw though his hair. "They collected everything you need to know regarding your targets."

"Any suggestions on which targets I should go after first?"

"There's one along the coast, just outside city limits. I'd hit it first." Hermes replied, splitting the screen to highlight the area. "That way if you do your usual fireworks, an incoming storm from the sea would extinguish the fires pretty quickly."

"And since that area's unincorporated, the Enforcers don't have to respond."

"Neither does their neighbor."

"Good. Anything else?"

Hermes switched the screen to show some clips of a masked kat in action. "The SWAT Kat here is called Razor. He almost reminds me of you."

Gabriel stared at the movie clip of Razor taking out a perp with a few choice kicks. "I can see why."

"He's the weapons officer and suspected inventor of the fighter jet called the Turbokat. He also seems to invent a lot of weaponry and gadgets. If you want a quick way into the Syndicate, taking him out would probably do it since he's the only one that's been seen recently. But it won't be easy."

"I'm loathe to try. Even though he's a vigilante, he fights the good fight." Gabriel checked the sights on his gun. "And if I didn't have the backing of The Agency, I would be a vigilante. So we're pretty much the same."

"If we knew who he was, he'd be recruited by us."

"True. So while I'm giving up my instant all access pass to the Syndicate, that doesn't mean I won't use the SWAT Kat for other means." Gabriel smiled.

"He could be quite the distraction."

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Felina was furious with herself.

Walking down the hall to her apartment, she looked down at the single white rose she clutched in her paw. She'd left the rest of the bouquet with Maggie, feigning the lack of a green claw. So why did she need to hold on to one?

She knew why. Gabriel had a way of getting underneath her fur. The white rose reminded her of happier, more exciting times.

But now...

Felina sighed. She couldn't keep doing this. Her life is a lot more stable and Gabriel constantly coming in and going out of her life was too much. And his cheating with that two-timing slut of a double agent didn't help matters.

So while Gabriel was dark and dangerous, Razor seemed to fit the mold quite nicely.

Arriving at her door, Felina felt her heart stir. She wondered how Gunny was doing. He hadn't stopped by, and there was nothing going on in the city that would bring the SWAT Kats out of hiding. Maybe their encounter wouldn't more than a one night stand?

Disappointed, Felina retrieved her apartment keys from her pocket and unlocked her door. She paused at the door, listening for anything unusual before entering and closing the door behind her. She was about to turn on a light when she heard a familiar chuckle in the darkness.

"Welcome home. Rough day at the office?"

It took all of Felina's training not to jump out of her fur and grab her gun. There, sitting cross-legged in her window sill with a smirk on his face was Razor. The light coming in from her window showed he wasn't wearing his usual blue and black racing outfit, but just all black. It was a sexy look.

How she'd missed that tom!

Exhaling the breath she was holding and resisting the urge to run and jump on top of him, Felina returned his smirk. "Nice of you to stop by Gunny."

"I was in the neighborhood."

"Really?"

"Mmm,hmm." Razor noticed the white rose clutched in Felina's paw. "Secret admirer?"

"This?" Felina remembered she was still holding onto the rose and held it up for show. "Possibly."

"Ah."

"...Jealous?"

"H-Hardly!"

"Don't worry, Gunny." Felina tossed the rose into a nearby trashcan. "You have nothing to worry about."

Razor was curious, but he held his tongue. "I see."

"So," Felina stepped out of her heels, pushing them aside, "what brings you by?"

"You mean other than pinning you against a wall right now?"

Felina raised an eyebrow, so Razor produced the robot's chip he'd wrapped in plastic and tossed it to her. She caught it with one paw.

"What's this?"

"Mr. Killer Ninja Robot left that little surprise embedded in my other racing jacket. I found it by pure chance."

"Really?" Felina held it up to study it. "Could you get anything off it?"

"Partially. Decrypting the chip is easy enough. It's just finding a way to put all the information together so it makes sense." Razor replied. "That's part of the reason you haven't seen me around."

"...Part of the reason?"

Razor cleared his throat to cover his embarrassment. "A-Anyway, I was on my way to see Professor Hackle. With his knowledge of robotics he should be able to help."

Felina tossed the chip back to Razor. "Will he be available?"

"Trust me, Felina. Genius never sleeps."

Felina looked a bit disappointed. "Too bad you can't stick around."

"Actually," Razor hopped off of the window ledge, "I was wondering if you wanted to take a ride with me to go see him."

"Me?"

"Sure. This robot affected you too. And you might have questions for the Professor that I might not have even thought of."

"Hmm..."

"Besides," Razor smirked, "you don't have to report for duty until tomorrow evening."

"Has someone hacked into the Enforcer scheduling computer?"

"Who me?"

Felina chuckled. "It's not like my own research turned up anything, so why not? Let me go change."

Razor opened the window. "I parked in the alley, so I'll wait for you there."

"Sure."

As Razor disappeared out the window Felina headed to her bedroom, stripping off her overcoat as she walked. She smiled.

A night on the town with Gunny. If only all her dates would be so exciting.

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_**Elsewhere...**_

"Com check."

"Hear you loud and clear Gabriel."

Adjusting his earpiece, Gabriel returned his focus to driving. He dressed in a black suit which rendered him invisible in the shadows, and his paws free com system would keep him in constant contact with Hermes back at the Agency. He was also loaded with all sorts of weapons, not knowing exactly how the Syndicate's second "interview" would turn out.

"Weather reports state that the storm is coming in a little bit faster than we thought." Hermes said over the earpiece. "Also, I have eyes on you for a few hours. Thermal scanning, jamming, and the usual toys will be available for your use."

"Thanks Hermes."

"The mission parameters on the flash drive are very vague. Just to retrieve a package."

"It's deliberate. From what we know of the Fourth Family, they want their associates to be versatile." Gabriel replied. "It does them no good to have killers that can't adapt to a changing situation."

"True. Just be careful, Gabriel."

"Always."

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Sitting on his bike, Razor was removing a spare helmet from the Cyclotron's storage when he heard footsteps coming down the fire escape.

He turned to see a smartly dressed Felina making her final descent down the stairs. She wore fur tight black jeans tucked into thick heeled boots. A black waist length leather jacket covered a tank top and concealed the gun that rode on her hip. A black choker completed the look.

Razor felt his heart stir. Always the knockout, Felina made sexy functional.

Too bad she wasn't wearing a skirt. He missed seeing those legs.

Felina caught Razor's stare as she hopped down onto the alley's pavement. "What?"

"I'm just a bit disappointed you're not wearing a skirt."

"Since you're doing the all black number I thought I'd do the same." Felina shrugged. "It looks like you don't want to be discovered."

"It's a long ride to Hackle's laboratory. No need to be discovered before I get there."

"And we just look like two lovers taking a midnight ride."

Feeling his heart stir again Razor pushed them aside as he handed Felina the spare helmet. "Your ride awaits milady. Shall we?"

Suppressing a smirk, Felina pulled the helmet over her head as she slid behind Razor on the Cyclotron. Slipping her arms around his waist, she hesitated a moment before giving him a squeeze.

"I...I missed you Gunny."

Feeling his face flush, Razor was glad Felina couldn't see it. He nodded.

"Yeah...Me too."


	6. Storm Warning

Hello everyone! Here's the next chapter to The Calm Before the Storm.

As Felina and Razor speed back toward Megakat City after visiting Professor Hackle, they spy suspicious activity at an old tuna factory. As they check it out, Razor ends up fighting for his life. Just who is this wraith?

Author's notes: Sorry for the long delay. Toddling twin girls take up much of my time.

We're almost near the end! I can't believe it. Thanks to all of you reviewing and sticking with me.

Hackle doesn't show up much here but he will pop up again later.

Food for thought: Do you think Gabriel and Razor could ever be friends?

Special thanks to ulyferal for getting this back to me so quickly.

As always, I value your opinions. So feel free to e-mail or review.

Thanks again,

AkaneKitty

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The Calm Before the Storm:

Storm Warning

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With Felina at his back, Razor sped along the deserted coastal highway heading back toward Megakat City. Even though the cool air coming from the sea was refreshing, he was deep in thought.

It had been an uneventful trip. Other than accidently tripping Hackle's burglar alarm, the SWAT Kat was able to get what he needed. The professor identified the chip, knew its encryption design, and gave him a device that would help Razor figure out the chip's key. It would still take a while because the device used tons of processing power on an average computer, but it was better than nothing.

For her part, Felina asked Hackle if there were any kats he'd worked with that understood the power of the chip. The old tom said he had a few apprentices at Pumadyne and still had access to their files. He promised he would send the lieutenant the files to Enforcer Headquarters as soon as he could.

But Hackle had something private he needed to say to Razor. Once Felina was out of earshot, on the other side of the lab studying a new robot the professor was building, he pulled Razor aside.

"I can sense a change in you, Razor. With the SWAT Kats not needed so much, I suspect you've been trying to decide what your new mission in life should be, hmm?" he murmured quietly.

Razor gave him a surprised look. "I didn't know it showed," he said uncomfortably.

"It's plain on your face, my young friend. I too had an epiphany when I worked for Pumadyne. It's what led me to leave and start working on robots that would benefit Katkind rather than make weapons of violence. Though I have had mixed results, I don't regret my decision," Hackle said quietly.

Razor blushed and nodded. "Yea, it's been weighing on my mind lately, but I have no idea what direction I want the SWAT Kats to take," he admitted.

"Don't' worry. You'll figure it out. You once went into this for glory but now...what else can the SWAT Kats do for themselves and society instead? Perhaps that's the questions you should ask yourself."

Razor eyed the old tom thoughtfully. Thanking the Professor for his advice, he and Felina took their leave.

Now as they rode along in the night, his mind tried to grabble with the idea finding a different goal in life...but what would that be?

"Gunny..."

Still lost in thought, Razor didn't reply. Chuckling, Felina opted for a more direct approach.

"Hey Gunny..."she said, just loud enough to be heard, "I'm not wearing any underwear."

"Sure...What?"

Felina gave Razor a gentle squeeze. "Just checking to see if you're paying attention, Gunny."

"It definitely got my attention." Razor couldn't help but smirk. "Because I'm sure you're not."

"You'll just have to find out for yourself later. But you were deep in thought. What's up?"

"Thinking about the chip." Razor fibbed. "I'm glad Hackle gave us the device but it'll take a supercomputer to get fast results."

"I could probably get access to one, but I wouldn't want the kats in charge to get any information from it. It would give my uncle problems"

"Really?"

"Uncle values his jurisdiction. If my sources that have access to the supercomputer got wind of anything illicit they would swoop in and take over the case." Felina replied. "He hates that."

"I see."

A light appeared on the Cyclotron's dashboard, forcing Razor to look down. He noted the problem and cursed.

"Damn it!"

"...Problem?"

"Possibly. Not a major one but I'll need to take care of it. Don't want to risk anything since we're outside city limits." Razor replied. "Luckily I brought along my tools this time."

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"Are you sure you're not picking up anything Hermes?"

"I'm sure. No thermals, no signals. Nothing."

After a last minute equipment check, Gabriel stared at his target through his binoculars.

His target was a rusty looking warehouse located on a pier overlooking the ocean. Formerly an old tuna packing plant, it was used by katnip runners in the past before a joint Enforcer initiative with their neighbors shut it down.

Gabriel frowned, mentally reviewing the warehouse's schematics Hermes sent him earlier. "Is it possible that the plant has some sort of shielding which is obscuring any signals?"

"It's possible." Hermes replied over the com link. "According to the schematics I pulled up it is structurally the same. But it doesn't take into account any kind of modifications placed on walls or ceilings. Our eye in the sky can't see through everything."

"True." Gabriel sighed. "I don't like it, but I have to go in blind. What's the ETA on the storm?"

"An hour, give or take a few minutes or changes in the wind patterns."

"I'm heading out. Be ready to jam the area when I give the signal." Gabriel pulled a balaclava over his face to further obscure his features. Along with his black suit, he was a terrifying sight. "Don't want my explosives to go off prematurely."

"Will do. Good luck."

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"Looks like a storm is coming."

"Pretty fast, too. I'd better hurry."

Leaning against a guardrail, Felina nodded, breathing in the salty sea air as Razor attended to his bike. They had stopped along the side of the deserted coastal road when Razor had noticed an issue with the Cyclotron.

Prototypes, he'd said by way of explanation.

It wasn't as bad as before, but the SWAT Kat didn't want to take any chances. At least he had the proper tools to fix it this time.

Felina turned her attention to the heavens. Even though she could see storm clouds building up over the sea in the distance, there were still patches of sky where she could see stars. Being away from the city allowed her to see much more than she would usually see back home. She continued to search the sky until she found what she was looking for.

"The Bull."

"What?" He asked distractedly.

"The Bull. My sign," Felina explained, pointing up at the sky. "The stars form the shape of the horns."

Razor stood up and followed Felina's line of sight into the sky. His knowledge of constellations was iffy but it wasn't hard to make out the star pattern of the Bull. He chuckled.

"The Bull, huh? Is it because Ferals are bull headed at times?"

"Watch it, Gunny. We're not all Bulls...just headstrong." Smiling a bit, Felina moved her arm a bit to point toward the horizon. "For instance, Uncle's the Scorpion. Those stars make up the tail."

"I see."

"Since the Scorpion is just coming up, the Hunter, whom the Bull is charging, will disappear over the opposite horizon," Felina continued, leaning back against the guardrail. "Legends say the Scorpion is always chasing the Hunter, so that's why they're on opposite ends of the sky."

Razor bent back down to put his tools away. "You know a lot about constellations."

"When I was a kitten, I'd climb up on the roof of our house with a glass of milk and a couple of cookies." Felina looked nostalgic. "Mom would climb up after me and point out the various stars. Astrology was one of her favorite hobbies."

Felina's wording was not lost on Razor, so he stood back up to look at her. "...Was?"

"Stage four feline leukemia. She never recovered." Even though she was looking up at the sky, Razor could see the pain cross Felina's face briefly before she turned to smile back at him. "But I'm ready whenever you are, Gunny."

As she turned her attention back to the sky, Razor felt his heart hurt for her. Nothing really could be said to alleviate Felina's pain, but he had to do something.

Maybe, just maybe...something true but obscure fact about himself? Surely his own sign wouldn't give anything away, and Felina probably knew more about him than most.

And she did open herself up to him.

"...The Scales."

"What?"

"The Scales. Or was it the Twins? I'm never sure about these sorts of things."

Felina suppressed a grin. "Gunny..."

"I think it was the Twins, although it's been a while since I checked."

"Okay, now you're just being facetious."

Razor grinned at her. "Maybe. But could you point the Twins out for me?"

Rolling her eyes, Felina began to search the heavens once again. With her attention diverted, Razor sneaked behind her.

"They should be right there." Felina pointed. "I mean, they would be if that cloud wasn't in the way and...Ah!"

Razor reached around and hugged her from behind. Felina was slightly startled.

"Gunny..."

Razor gave her a gentle squeeze. "Hush and enjoy the moment."

"...Thanks." Relaxing a bit, Felina leaned back, resting her head on his shoulder. "You certainly know how to make a she-kat feel better."

"I try."

"This definitely earns you some bonus points."

"Really? Can I trade them in for something nice later?"

"Smartass."

The two of them stood and listened to the ocean for moment before a light on the Cyclotron caught Felina's attention. She glanced at it.

"Gunny, what's that?"

"What's what?"

"That." Felina pointed. "A light just came on your bike."

Groaning, Razor reluctantly released Felina and went to look at the Cyclotron's dashboard. Sure enough, a red light had turned on.

"My jammer indicator." Razor frowned. "Somebody's jamming the area so no signals can get through."

"How do you know?"

"A while back, Dark Kat figured out the signal I used for communication between T-Bone and myself. He jammed it," Razor explained. "It was a hairy situation, but since that time I put in an indicator on the Cyclotron to let me know that we're being jammed."

"Hmm..."

"But I wonder why someone would jam a beach."

"A long time ago this area was used for katnip runners. They used old factories to store and process their product as it came in from the sea. Enforcers and our neighbors took them down." Felina looked out into the distance. "I wonder if someone is trying to start back up and is trying to be smart about it."

Razor opened up one of the Cyclotron's many compartments and extracted a pair of binoculars. Holding them up to his eyes, he scanned the beach.

"There's a factory over on the pier." Razor pointed the way. "Shall we check it out?"

"Eh..." Felina hesitated. "This area is not annexed by Megakat City yet. Enforcers have no jurisdiction there. So I'm on my own."

"But..."

Felina sighed. "We can't leave this unchecked. Last thing Uncle wants is a katnip runner trying to start back up again."

Nodding, Razor hopped back onto the Cyclotron and pulled on his helmet, waiting for Felina to do the same. Once she was settled, he fired up his bike and pulled back onto the road.

"I'll get us as close as I can, but then we'll have to hoof it to the factory itself," Razor said over the roar of the engine. "The Cyclotron doesn't like sand much."

"Roger!"

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"Heads up, Gabriel! You've got company!"

Cursing to himself, Gabriel planted an explosive with a detonator on one of the factory's support struts. "I haven't finished my recon yet. ETA?"

"Ten minutes at the latest."

Gabriel began looking around for good places to conceal himself. "Can you tell who they are, Hermes?"

"Two kats, can't tell the gender. Refocusing..." Gabriel heard Hermes clicking keys over his com link. "Damn it! Clouds have just covered up my line of sight. Sorry."

"Not a problem. I've dealt with less. Going silent."

Continuing to look around, Gabriel found a spot in the shadows big enough to hide his large form and watch the front doors. Going there he knelt down, pulling his sidearm.

The waiting game had begun.

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"There are lights on in the factory. That's suspicious."

His nose invaded by the smell of rotting tuna and hidden by a small sand dune, Razor studied the factory. It was quiet and didn't seem to have anything going on inside. But the area wouldn't be jammed if everything was fine. He frowned.

Beside him, Felina wrinkled her nose as the smell of rotting fish got to her. "How do you want to play it?"

"How about if I take the direct approach this time? There's a small crack in the front doors that I can slip through." Razor pointed out. "You can circle around and find a quiet way in. We'll meet inside."

"Sounds good, but..."

"Hey, a SWAT Kat taking the direct approach isn't too suspicious. And as you alluded to, an Enforcer would be," Razor answered Felina's unasked question. "If it isn't anything too serious you can just stay hidden. I'll take care of it."

Felina looked at him. "Gunny..."

"Besides, maybe it's time to put the SWAT Kats back in the news." Razor chuckled. "Now let's get going."

Nodding reluctantly, Felina upholstered her gun and took off along the side of the factory, sticking to the shadows and to cover. After watching her disappear around a corner Razor stood up and quickly made his way toward the door. Readying his glovatrix, he slipped through the small space in between the front doors he'd spotted earlier.

Time to get to work.

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A SWAT Kat? Here?

Gabriel looked on as the SWAT Kat called Razor slipped through the front doors. The SWAT Kat didn't try to hide himself or be stealthy, but that might have been the plan all along: To draw out overconfident thugs.

Holstering his weapon, Gabriel drew his feet underneath himself. He promised himself he wouldn't take out a SWAT Kat, but that didn't mean he couldn't test the tom and get some answers.

Smiling to himself, Gabriel waited for his prey.

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Razor heard the fast footsteps behind him a fraction of a second too late.

Whirling, he barely caught a glimpse of the black monolith which tackled him, sending them both crashing into empty wooden tuna fish containers. Wincing as splinters lanced his face, Razor managed to grab hold of the wraith as he continued to fall backwards and flipped the tom over his head.

Scrambling to stand up and get into a fighting stance, Razor was mildly surprised to see his opponent land nimbly on his feet and assume his own fighting stance. His opponent was a large muscular black kat, bristling with hidden weapons including a big holstered sidearm. And although a mask obscured his face, he could still see striking blue eyes.

A wraith of Death.

"Who are you?" Razor smirked. "The Angel of Death?"

The wraith chuckled slightly and returned the smirk. "That's what they call me."

The wraith charged, this time launching a roundhouse punch. Razor brought his right arm to block it, and the force jarred him down to his bones. Sensing the SWAT Kat was temporality stunned, the wraith followed up with a few hard punches to Razor's torso. Grunting, Razor snapped his leg up and kicked the wraith in the stomach. It was a desperation move to create distance, and even though he was proud of his kicks Razor's wouldn't have hurt much. The wraith wore body armor.

In some pain, Razor shuffled back out of the wraith's reach and assumed another fighting stance. He'd never felt such force from a controlled punch before. He'd taken punches from T-Bone, but the wraith before him had a solid background in mixed martial arts. In addition to his weapons, it appeared to Razor that he was indeed fighting the Angel of Death.

The wraith continued to smirk at him and beckoned to Razor with his claws. Razor recognized the taunt and held his ground. He needed a plan of action fast. He needed to get the wraith off balance, but what could he use? He couldn't go with strength; he was outmatched if the pain along his torso was any indication. But speed and agility...

That's it!

Razor charged him at full speed, cocking back his fist as if he was going for a simple strike. The wraith saw this and brought up him arms to defend himself.

Bingo!

Pulling up short just beyond the wraith's reach, Razor planted himself and jumped up, somersaulting over the wraith's head and landing behind him. The wraith barely had time to turn around when Razor struck with a roundhouse kick, putting everything he had into it as he aimed for the face. The wraith managed to get an arm up to deflect some of the blow, but the kick still connected. Seeing his opponent rocked, Razor dropped low to the ground and kicked his leg out, sweeping the wraith's legs out from under him. The wraith fell to ground with a grunt.

Razor pounced, jumping on top of the wraith. The wraith seemingly recovered out of nowhere and lashed out with his paws, closing them around Razor's throat. His grip was strong and Razor willed himself not to panic as the wraith continued to squeeze the life out him. In desperation, Razor leaned his head back and brutally snapped it forward, striking the wraith in the face. The wraith yelped and Razor immediately felt the pressure around his neck lessen.

Feeling that playtime was over, Razor scrambled out of the way, bringing his glovatrix online. Apparently the wraith thought the same thing as the big sidearm which was once holstered during the fight now filled the wraith's paws.

"I was wondering when you were going to bring it out," Razor coughed, trying to catch his breath.

"The rules of engagement didn't call for it," The wraith replied, ignoring a thin trickle of blood flowing from his nose. "Besides, I needed you alive."

"Really? I'm flattered."

The two toms stared at each other, not saying anything as they continued aiming their weapons at each other. Before anyone could make a move, a feminine chuckle was heard.

"Did you two toms play nice?"

Both Razor and the wraith whirled, pointing their weapons toward the voice. Standing with a paw on her weapon and a smile on her lips was Felina.

"Felina?" Both toms realized they'd said her name at the same time and stared at each other again.

"Nice of you two to introduce yourselves without me." Felina shook her head. "But I have to say that was an interesting fight."

The toms lowered their weapons and stood up, turning their attention back to Felina. The wraith took it one step further and removed his mask, revealing a bloody nose.

"Gabriel, this is the SWAT Kat known as Razor." Felina introduced. "Razor, this is Special Agent Gabriel Leon, the Angel of Death...and my ex."


	7. The Familiar Returns

Hello everyone! Here's another chapter of The Calm Before the Storm.

As Razor butts heads with Gabriel, a familiar yet deadly threat emerges. Will Razor and Gabriel be able to work together?

Author's Notes: Wow! Thanks for all the reviews! I'm so glad everyone is enjoying my story! On a couple of chapters left!

I'm glad everyone liked Razor and Gabriel's fight, because I'm having a blast writing those two. It's fun! But I'm surprised no one picked up on Felina's astrological sign talk with Razor. Do you agree with her?

Other than cheating on her, can you guess any other reasons Felina broke up with Gabriel?

Sometimes I think I'm neglecting Chance/T-Bone in these stories. Would you like to see him more?

Thanks to my beta ulyferal for her help and getting this back to me quickly.

As always, I look forward to your comments and review, so feel free to drop me a line.

Thanks again,

AkaneKitty

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The Calm Before the Storm

The Familiar Returns

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"Your ex? You make that sound so final, kitten..."

"That's because it is. And stop calling me that."

As Gabriel and Felina talked, Razor found himself fighting down some ugly feelings. This wraith was Felina's ex? Really?

Razor looked over at the black tom who began wiping blood from his nose. Gabriel reminded Razor of himself...if he was taller and had more defined muscles. He could see the wraith as a suitor of Felina's...but for some obnoxious reason he didn't like the tom. Where was this sudden hostility coming from? Was it jealousy?

Or maybe he was just being possessive?

Sighing, Gabriel rubbed his jaw, turning his attention back toward Razor. "You have one hell of a kick for one so small, SWAT Kat. You nearly broke my nose."

"You want me to break it for real?" Razor snarled.

"Like I'd give you another chance, pipsqueak."

"Try me, meathead."

The toms glared at each other.

"Hey, be nice you two." Felina stepped forward, feeling both amused and annoyed. "This isn't the time to get pissy with each other."

"Right." Razor stood up and brushed wooden splinters off his leathers. "I'm going to take a look around." He stalked off.

Gabriel turned to Felina with a grin on his face. "Is he always like that?"

"Shut up." Felina watched him flatten his ears for a moment before she continued. "Odd place for you to be in mission mode, Gabriel."

"Isn't it?" Gabriel replied, not answering her veiled question. "What are you doing out here?"

"Finding out why this area of the beach was being jammed. I guess Hermes was being a bit sloppy."

"Spy technology isn't perfect but that doesn't explain why you're here."

"Was checking for possible katnip runners."

"...Right."

"You still didn't explain why you're out here, Gabriel."

"And you haven't explained why you're with a SWAT Kat."

Gabriel straightened and stared into Felina eyes...she didn't flinch. It wasn't a normal feat for one to be able to meet his direct gaze without flinching, but Felina and very few others could.

Felina didn't respond to his question. "So why are you here with a SWAT Kat?" he repeated, raising an eyebrow. "Because I'm sure the Commander wouldn't be happy to hear his niece was running around with a wanted vigilante."

"And I'm sure the Commander wouldn't like to hear a Special Agent was in town without his knowledge," Felina countered. "...Because I'm sure the Agency didn't let him know."

"How about I drop him a hint his lovely niece seems to like hanging out with criminals."

"How about I promptly feed your tail to you and arrest you for hindering my investigation?" Felina hissed. "I'll even let you explain it to the Chief."

Gabriel exhaled. "Okay, okay."

"So talk."

"It's classified!"

Felina stalked up to Gabriel and jabbed a claw into his chest. "Don't give me that classified bullshit! You talk or I'm calling the Commander!"

"All right!" Gabriel held his paws up. "Megakat City is about to become ground zero to some really nasty stuff and I'm here to prevent it or minimize the damage."

"What sort of nasty stuff?"

"I can't say."

"Gabriel!" Felina snapped warningly.

"It's not that I don't trust you, but this mission is sensitive. If the kats I'm working for get wind of anything related to law enforcement, my cover is blown!"

Felina crossed her arms. "So what does your mission have you doing out here?"

"The group I'm trying to infiltrate set me up with a second interview. I'm supposed to retrieve something, but they were vague on the details," Gabriel explained reluctantly. "I was barely starting my recon when you two showed up."

"Retrieving something like this perhaps?" A voice suddenly interrupted them.

Gabriel and Felina looked up to see Razor waving them over to him. He stood in front of a large metal cabinet, seemingly untouched by rust or decay. The pair jogged over as Razor turned his attention back to what had caught his attention.

"You were eavesdropping, SWAT Kat?" Gabriel chuckled.

"It's not that difficult when you're both yelling," Razor replied calmly, running his paw along the cabinet. "And I don't appreciate you threatening the Lieutenant with telling her uncle about the company she keeps. If you feel the need to tell him anything it will be about me and only me."

Gabriel narrowed his eyes. "What's it to you?"

"I abhor bad manners toward she-kats and for someone so obviously still interested in his ex, you lack them," Razor said flatly. Turning to face the tom, his mouth pulled into a smirk. "Now I know why you carry around that big gun...you're obviously trying to compensate for _something_."

Felina struggled to stifle a laugh as Gabriel's eyes flew wide with fury. "Why you little..."

He charged Razor, launching a jump kick. This time the smaller tom was ready and caught Gabriel's leg, using the tom's momentum against him, flinging him into the metal cabinet. The black tom violently bounced off the cabinet and crashed to the ground in a heap.

Razor wiped his paws together calmly, "Do we understand each other?"

Gabriel gritted his teeth, mostly due to a bruised ego rather than pain. He was about to go after the vigilante again when he heard an audible hiss behind him. Reacting on instinct, he quickly backed away from the cabinet and went for his gun. Razor and Felina went for their respective weapons with Razor stepping in front of Felina.

"Looks like the Wraith triggered a pressure switch," Razor mused aloud, walking toward the cabinet.

Gabriel leveled his gun at the sliding doors. "Nice to be of some use."

The doors finally slid open, but nothing appeared in its depths. Cautiously, Gabriel crept forward.

"It's empty!" he announced after a quick look.

Razor exhaled as he and Felina lowered their weapons. "Why would a cabinet with pressure trigger be empty?"

Gabriel was about to reply when he spotted a red envelope on the ground. Reaching over to retrieve it, he inspected it briefly before tearing it open. He scanned the letter before reading it out loud. "'Jericho, in order to pass your second interview, you must be able to survive.'"

"Survive?" Razor asked. "Survive what?"

"Yah!" A yell rent the air.

Weapons in paw, Razor and Gabriel whirled toward Felina's cry. A large metallic robot seemed to have appeared out of nowhere and snaked its left arm around her neck, lifting her completely off the ground. Felina's gun clattered to the ground as she clawed desperately at the arm.

The robot that held Felina captive was huge, even bigger than the one Razor had faced before. It didn't have a sword this time, but it did seem to have its throwing star capability. Was this an older model Razor wondered? Its red eyes seemed to glare at the toms as it pulled its arm tighter across Felina's neck.

Razor narrowed his eyes. "Aww, not you again!"

"Again?" Gabriel stared at the robot in shock. Only instinct prevented him from lowering his weapon. "What do you mean 'again'?"

The robot raised its right arm and pointed it toward Gabriel, its robotic voice menacing. "Second interview commencing."

Hearing the familiar whir, Razor ran full tilt into Gabriel, grabbing the tom and dragging him behind the metal cabinet. "Incoming!"

Gabriel involuntarily winced as he heard something sharp ricochet off the cabinet. "What was that?"

"Throwing stars."

"I'm talking about the monster that has Felina!"

"Oh that?" Razor replied nonchalantly, readying his glovatrix, "Mr. Killer Ninja Robot."

Gabriel tried to take a peek around the corner of the cabinet but throwing stars forced him back. "You've faced it before?"

"Unfortunately."

"Know how to disable it?"

"If it's the same type I faced before, then yes. But it'll be difficult with the Lieutenant in the way," Razor replied. "If it isn't..."

"We'll deal with that when it does..." Gabriel finished. With the shock wearing off, he shifted back into his role as a lethal special agent. "What can you tell me?"

"Its weak spots are its throwing star arm and its eyes. I took out its arm first, then jabbed an electrified asp into one of its eyes," Razor said. "The asp must have triggered something because it self-destructed moments later."

"I see." Gabriel listened to throwing stars ricochet off the cabinet. "Anything else?"

"Yeah, normal ammo won't scratch it. What's loaded in your gun?"

"Hollow points."

Razor eyed Gabriel's combat rigging speculatively. "Got anything that can pierce armor? I'd load it."

Gabriel swiftly cleared his gun and reloaded it with a clip from one of his many pockets. Razor's eyes behind his mask widened slightly in awe.

"That's one of the fastest tactical reloads I've ever seen."

"Coming from you, I'll take it as a compliment, Razor." Gabriel pulled back the slide. "I think this robot requires a two prong approach, however I'm not sure my ammo will do the job."

"It should be able to take out the arm. I've got a new electrified drill tipped mini-missile I've developed just for killer ninja robots." Razor looked a bit sheepish. "Haven't had time to test it yet."

"No time like the present. But Felina..."

Razor smirked. "The Lieutenant can take care of herself."

"So true." Gabriel found himself smirking as well. "Ready?"

Razor nodded, and the toms crawled to opposite edges of the cabinet. Steadying themselves, they waited for the split second pause which came between barrages of throwing stars.

"Now!"

Leaning from around cover, both toms aimed and fired, with Gabriel's bullets shredding the arm while Razor's mini-missile cored into the robot's eye. Felina turned her head away from the shower of sparks coming from the robot's face, yanking the arm from around her neck as soon as the pressure lessened. Dropping to the ground, she spared a second to retrieve her gun before rolling clear.

Razor and Gabriel pulled themselves back behind cover mere moments before a sharp crack reverberated throughout the factory. Razor waited a minute before peeking around the edge of the cabinet. Lying on the ground was the body of the robot, its head blown clear and torn completely apart. Both toms stood up.

"I think we're clear!" Razor called out, keeping his glovatrix held on the robot's body, just in case, as he and Gabriel walked over to it. "Lieutenant?"

"I'm fine!" Felina glared at the toms from the cover she sought behind a metal support strut. "What took you two so long?"

"Sorry."

Gabriel stared down at the body of the robot. "That was a great shot. No wonder you're the wizzo."

"It's nothing." Razor shrugged modestly. "But thanks."

Felina jogged up to them. "Think you passed your 'interview', Gabriel?"

"Possibly...but how do I prove it to my prospective employers?" Holstering his weapon, Gabriel knelt down beside the body. "I wonder if it was supposed to give me something after a certain length of time..." he mused.

While Gabriel examined the robot body, Razor studied Felina critically as she rubbed her neck. "Are you really okay?"

"...Yeah." Felina smiled weakly. "There's never a dull moment with you, Razor."

"I aim to please."

"Aha!" Grabriel's voice interrupted.

Razor and Felina turned and saw Gabriel prying a plate off the robot's chest. Reaching inside, the tom withdrew an envelope.

"Another envelope?" Felina asked as Gabriel tore it open.

"Yeah. Says 'Congratulations!' and a number to call." Gabriel stuffed the envelope into an empty pocket. "Guess I have my proof."

On a hunch, Razor wandered over to where the robot's head had blown clear and dug through the debris. Within moments, he found the readily identifiable shape of a memory chip. He picked it up.

"What did you find?" Felina asked.

"A memory chip." Razor waved it in the air. "Those self-destruct sequences really need to be fined tuned."

"A chip?" Gabriel was curious. "May I..."

"Sorry, Wraith...but finders keepers." Razor pocketed the chip. "Consider it payment for saving your tail."

Gabriel suppressed a smile. "Got me there."

Suddenly, a distant rumbling was heard, causing Razor and Felina to look up. "Is that..."

"A storm is coming in off the sea, which makes my next job easier." Gabriel pulled out a remote detonator. "I was rigging this place to blow before you two came in. Now that I have what I need, I can blow this rust trap up without any problems."

Razor looked puzzled. "Why would you want to do that?"

"Consider it my calling card." Gabriel smirked. "I'd leave now, you two. Don't want to be caught out in the storm."

"He's right. We're too exposed on the Cyclotron," Razor agreed, turning to leave.

"Okay..." Felina looked over to black tom. "I guess we'll be seeing you around, Gabriel."

Gabriel nodded then watched the pair start to move off before he cleared his throat to halt her. "Felina..."

"...Hmm?"

Gabriel looked away. "I'm invoking the Agency's Contingency Plan, so you don't have to explain yourself to the Commander. The Chief will be in contact with him soon, regardless."

"I see." Felina smiled at him. "Thank you for letting me know." She turned to follow Razor out of the factory.

Heart suddenly heavy, Gabriel busied himself by taking snapshots of the robot's body so he could send them to Hermes.

His work was never easy.

oOo oOo oOo oOo

Away from the factory, Razor finally found the courage to ask Felina, "What's this Contingency Plan he mentioned?"... as he helped her over a large sand dune. Luckily, the Cyclotron was parked a few feet away.

"Well..." Felina thought a moment. "In simple terms, it's something that protects special agents and their allies when they bend or break the rules. Like behaving as a vigilante."

"Really?"

"Yeah." Felina looked up at the ominous clouds building up in the sky. "I'll explain more to you later."

Razor jogged over to the Cyclotron and began powering it up. He also took out their helmets. "I don't think we'll be able to get back to your apartment before the storm hits."

"Me neither." Felina walked up beside Razor. "But I know a place where we can hang out until the storm blows over."

Nodding, Razor handed Felina her helmet, his paw lingering a bit over hers. She gave him a questioning look. "What?"

Before his courage could desert him, Razor pulled Felina close and kissed her for several long moments. Shock wearing off, she returned his kiss, only breaking it off when he pulled back.

"Don't ever scare me like that again, Lina!"

Feeling a bit like a scolded kitten, Felina put on her helmet and climbed on the Cyclotron after Razor did. As he guided the bike back onto the coastal road, Felina could hear the soft whump of an explosion and suddenly the sea glowed red with the reflected flames coming from the destroyed factory.

She leaned closer to Razor's back, hugging him a bit tighter. Confident the wind would snatch her words away from his ears, Felina whispered to herself.

"I'll try not to make you worry, Gunny..."


	8. Torrents

Hello everyone! It's time for a new chapter of The Calm Before the Storm.

Gabriel's unwelcome appearance and Hackle's words force Razor to confront the true reason why he is a SWAT Kat...as well as claiming who he truly wants.

Author's notes: Sorry for the long delay. Toddling twin girls and all, plus making sure I got want I wanted out of this chapter. This is a pure Felina and Razor chapter. So...

I've noted some people miss Chance/T-Bone, and while this is mainly a Felina and Razor series his absence is glaring. I hope the next stories rectify this situation.

I had a blast writing Gabriel and Razor. They're fun to work with, either when fighting the enemy or each other. And in the next story Gabriel will find out just how "mad" Megakat City can get.

Question: Why do you think Razor is questioning himself?

I can't believe this is almost at the end! Thanks for all your reviews. They really mean a lot to me. Thanks for sticking with me, whether you started with Drawing the Short Straw or just picked up The Calm Before the Storm.

Thanks to Ulyferal, my beta, for helping me out a lot with chapter. It needed a bit of polish.

As always, I welcome any comments or questions.

Thanks!

AkaneKitty

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The Calm Before the Storm:

Torrents

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Felina let the shower's hot spray do its work, washing the killer robot's grime off her body for the second time and the cold chill of the storm.

Despite Razor's best efforts, the storm had caught up to them before they reached Megakat City limits, the pounding rain soaking her to the bone, the leather jacket not helping a bit. The place she had directed him to was a small beach house that had been used as an Enforcer safe house for watching katnip runners. However, once the runners had been put out of business, her uncle decreed the place no longer needed.

Before he could decide its disposition, she begged him to allow her to use it, citing the need for a private and quiet place to decompress from time to time. Though it wasn't exactly allowed to use government property in that fashion, Feral relented, not being able to refuse her such a simple thing. She was thrilled as it meant she didn't have to remove all the personal items she'd placed there to give it a more lived in appearance.

After letting Razor hide the Cyclotron in the garage, she scampered off to the bedroom citing the need to get out of her wet clothes before she caught a cold. In her hurry she heard him mention he was going to check over his injuries.

Felina sighed, feeling the heat from the shower warm her body. How could she be so stupid! Instead of being on alert, she found herself distracted by two tom's fighting. And that distraction led her to being caught by a killer robot...again. She wasn't turned on by it...more amused to be honest. Fortunately, the pair were able to work together after fighting, destroying the robot quickly with stunning precision. And, they at least, seemed to admire and respect each other's skills.

So just what were her feelings about Gunny anyway?

She had an idea what his feelings were when he kissed her there on the beach...hesitant, yet possessive...angry that she nearly got injured but happy she was okay.

Could this be...? She questioned herself then shook her head dismissively. Despite the faint stirrings she felt in her heart, it was too soon to get this deep. Settle down, Lieutenant. It's far too early to throw around the "L" word, she chided herself.

No matter how badly she wanted to.

Turning off the shower Felina stepped out of the stall, wrapping a nearby towel around her body.

Walking out into her bedroom, she was about to reach into a nearby dresser drawer before she realized she had nothing to wear. She had taken her spare clothing out of the house to be cleaned the last time she visited and didn't take the time to put them back. Now what was she going to wear? She didn't want to just wear a towel...although Gunny might like it. Heading for her closet, Felina threw open its doors...and smiled. Spying the lonely item of clothing hanging on its hanger, she reached for it and pulled it off its hanger. Was this fate?

Smirking to herself, Felina loosened the towel wrapped around her body, letting it drop to the floor. Well, she was about to find out.

oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo

Razor winced at his image as he checked his injuries.

Standing in his appropriated guest bedroom and wearing only his racing leather pants, he looked over his body and face in the mirror located above a low dresser. He had a few scrapes to his face and he could see some bruising forming nicely along his torso. Not bad considering he fought a killer ninja robot and the Angel of Death almost at the same time.

He reflected on the night's events. The killer ninja robot and Gabriel's arrival had to be linked and if he could figure out what the connection might be maybe the mystery regarding those robots would be revealed...and Gabriel could go away.

That thought made him bristle. Why couldn't he at least tolerate the Wraith? He should be admiring the tom's fighting style and his ease of weaponry usage not resenting his very existence. Was it because he was Felina's ex? A still very interested ex at that?

He snorted as another thought dawned on him. Wasn't it explained in biology class that toms could still get locked into rivalries over she-kats like their ancestors did ages ago? What was it called? Damn it, he should have paid more attention in class instead of working on his advanced calculus homework.

Oh yeah! It was dominance battles. Only the strongest male could mate!

He grimaced. Was that it? Was he and the Wraith locked into a dominance battle for Felina? It certainly felt that way. Then he needed to be prepared for their next meeting because there would be another meeting he was certain of it.

Hopefully, Felina wouldn't get too mad about it. She didn't strike him as the type of she-kat who liked toms fighting over her. She just might smack them both and walk away in disgust.

He briefly smiled at that then Professor Hackle's words intruded. What the scientist had said still bothered him.

Why? Why was he so troubled by the tom's advice? It hadn't been too deep or profound, but something about them shook him to the core. Especially the part about the true reason why he was a SWAT Kat.

His troubled introspection was interrupted by a soft knock on the bedroom door.

"Yeah?"

"Mind if I come in Gunny? I found my first aid kit."

"Sure."

The door opened and Felina stepped through holding a small first aid kit. Razor noted her hair was still damp from the shower she'd taken and she wore a plain buttoned up shirt. He smiled to himself. This shirt fit almost the exact same way the shirt she wore that memorable night: Hugging her curves nicely and top unbuttoned to allow for her ample cleavage. He chuckled.

"You must like shirts that barely fit you."

"It's the only thing I have! What would you rather have me wear...a towel?"

"Actually, I think I would prefer dessert toppings..."

"Shut up." Smiling, Felina squeezed herself between Razor and the dresser then placed the first aid kit on top. "Now let me look at you."

"Yes ma'am."

As Felina ran her paws along his face, he felt more carnal urges beginning to stir. To distract himself, he stated the obvious. "Your ex can pack quite the punch."

"He's not called the Angel of Death for nothing." Felina let her paws slide down Razor's torso. "But as you can tell, I like having lethal suitors."

"Obviously." Moving away from the troubling subject he said instead, "So what is this place again?"

"Former Enforcer safe house. We used it to monitor katnip runners," Felina replied, pausing to examine a cut on Razor's face. "Once we shut them down Uncle decided the Enforcers didn't need it anymore, but I begged him to let me have it for decompressing and you see the result."

"Doubt the Commander had a choice," he chuckled. Feral never stood a chance when his niece begged him for anything.

She flashed him a grin then focused once more on his injuries.

"Hmm...The cuts are minor and the bruises will be there for a while, but nothing is broken." Felina turned slightly to open the first aid kit and grabbed an antiseptic cloth. Slowly, she began to wipe at the cuts on Razor's face. "You might be smarting for a while though."

He shrugged. "Comes with the territory."

"So I've noticed."

Silence crept over them as she treated his cuts. With so little space between them, Razor's thoughts again turned carnal and wandered into inappropriate places, especially since he was receiving such a great view of her cleavage. But one thing still gnawed at him.

"So Gabriel..."

"Someone who will stay an ex," she said firmly, answering his unasked question, tossing the cloth aside.

"I didn't mean..."

"Yes you did, but don't worry about it." Felina reached up to scratch Razor's ears affectionately. "It's a fair question."

"Ah..."

As she continued to scratch his ears, Razor could feel her charged energy making his fur stand on end. Why was he so hell bent on denying his feelings and what he wanted? And what he wanted was Felina...desperately. He'd missed her and Gabriel's rather unwelcome appearance brought all those feelings rushing back to the surface...and other places.

And Felina's clothing choice didn't help matters.

"So," Felina looked mischievous, "What's this business about you wanting to pin me against a wall?"

"...You remembered?"

"We Ferals have extremely long memories Gunny."

"Obviously."

"Do you still want to?"

Felina, her look turning seductive, ran her paws down Razor's chest...and crept lower. And in that brief moment, he stopped fighting himself.

"...Yeah. I want to."

Before Felina could react, Razor snaked his arms around her waist, pulling her body closer to his. Sliding a paw up to the nape of her neck, he brought his mouth down to hers for a kiss.

If there was any self-control left in him it departed just as quickly. Her smell, her taste ... everything he wanted was his for the taking. He could feel Felina's heart beginning to beat wildly in her chest and he knew he had made the right decision.

Felina noted his kiss was confident...almost possessive. Was it because of Gabriel? But thoughts of her ex slipped away as her own simmering arousal swept through her like a raging fire. She clutched at his shoulders as she felt familiar shivers run down her spine.

"Gunny..."

"Hmm?"

"Does this further answer your question?"

Emboldened by her breathy purr, Razor tightened his grip around Felina and lifted her up, propping her against the dresser. She emitted a cute squeak of surprise as she braced herself, sending the first aid kit and various other items crashing to the floor.

"A wall wasn't available, but I think this dresser will do," he said in response, releasing her briefly to unbuckle and unzip his pants. "I hope you're not too disappointed."

"You-" A bit vexed yet highly aroused, Felina adjusted herself to regain her balance. "You're going to pay for this, Gunny."

Razor silenced any further protests by pushing up the hemline of Felina's shirt. "I look forward to it. Now be quiet."

He leaned into her, allowing her to take his weight. Felina released the edge of the dresser to clutch Razor's shoulders for balance, feeling her own heart beat harder in her chest as she wrapped her legs around him.

Her eyes widen as he began to enter her.

Felina digging her claws into his shoulders was all the encouragement Razor needed. Rocking his hips, he set out to give her what she needed.

It was just as he remembered: Incredibly hot, almost searing. She felt wonderful and it amused him how she alternated from calling his name to swearing revenge all in one breath. He was definitely going to pay for this in the future.

Felina held on to her lover for dear life, taking his thrusts as best she could and feeling intense sensations flood her body. How she missed this! How could she doubt that this wasn't what she wanted? But in her current state she couldn't properly plan to give him his due. Beginning to feel light headed and feeling oh so familiar feelings building inside her, she gripped Razor even tighter.

"Damn it, Gunny!"

Razor was almost caught off guard, but when Felina took off like a firecracker, he went off with her. Their moment stretched out in time as they clung to each other, waiting for their bodies to fully relax. Resting her head on his shoulder, Felina focused on forcing herself to breathe.

"Gunny...You..."

"...I know!"

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Consciousness slowly filtered back some time later, leaving Razor to wonder where he was and what had happened when the warmth of Felina's naked body he was spooning immediately provided him with an instant reminder.

A purely male smile crossed his lips as he settled back into the softness of his adopted bed, listening to the rain outside and Felina's cute half purr, half snore as she slept. Just how did they end up in the bed? He knew it was extremely pleasurable, but the how escaped him.

Maybe it was better he didn't know.

He sighed and let his mind drift. Hackle's words once more intruded. Why? Was it because he found it so easy to lie to his buddy about who he was involved with? Or was it because his worth as a SWAT Kat was being challenged?

He grimaced. That was it. He'd like to believe being a SWAT Kat was about protecting katizens, but he now realized that had never been the true reason. Protecting them had been an afterthought.

No, being a SWAT Kat meant getting the glory denied them for failing to capture Dark Kat. It meant getting a chance to rub Feral's face in their jet exhaust every time they saved the city. It meant imagining their former wingkat's faces every time they streaked across the sky in the Turbokat.

But now with no villains to pursue, being a SWAT Kat rang hollow. He glanced down at Felina's sleeping form.

For Felina, keeping her uncle out of the loop wasn't because she was trying to upstage him, but out of love and duty. He figured she didn't want to disturb Feral's hard won tranquil status with something silly and because she didn't want him to worry about her. She wanted Feral to be informed...and was willing to face any consequences when she did so.

She was much braver than he was.

So what does being a SWAT Kat mean to him now?

A movement caught his eye and distracted him from his rumination. A paw was slowly making its way to his mask. Smirking, he reached out and caught it by the wrist. A soft laugh greeted his action.

"You're awake?" he murmured.

"Mmm, hmm."

He released her wrist. "Nice try."

Felina shrugged then snuggled against him. "You seemed to be deep in thought. Something got you by the tail?"

"I was trying to remember how we ended up in bed," he said, only partly lying.

"Hmm...No idea."

"I thought you said Ferals have long memories?"

"Long selective memories Gunny."

"Ahh...I see."

Felina lazily traced a claw down Razor's chest. "So...how many times?"

"Four."

"Four times? I must be getting soft."

"How so?"

"Being the Master C3 Officer doesn't have the physical requirements of a helicopter squadron leader. I need to hit the Enforcer gym more often," she replied. "But seriously Gunny, what were you really thinking about?"

"Nothing gets by you, eh?"

"When I was in the academy I had my choice of going into air defense or investigations. Guess what I chose?"

Razor chuckled. "Well, it's nothing I would want to discuss while I'm in bed with a beautiful, naked she-kat. And I don't think you want to talk about your ex right now."

"...You're right. I don't."

Felina slid on top of Razor's body, straddling him. Leaning down, she smiled at him.

"So...are you ready for round five?"

"Am I? I'm a SWAT Kat, remember?" Razor smirked. "Besides, I seem to recall you recently saying you needed to get back to the gym."

"You tomkat! Remember you can still talk your way out of this!"

Chuckling, Razor looked up at Felina's face which had a cute look of mock anger. In that look, he realized what him being a SWAT Kat was supposed to be all about: Protecting a she-kat who really didn't need it.

Noting a change, Felina narrowed her eyes. "What?"

In response, Razor reached up and clasped the back of Felina's neck with his paw, pulling her down for kiss.

"Just figuring out how we can make it to round six."


	9. Daybreak

Hello everyone! This is the final chapter to The Calm Before the Storm.

As Razor gives Felina a meaningful gift, Feral meets with an interesting visitor from his past. Meanwhile, Gabriel continues his mission.

Author's note: I'd like to thank everyone who've read, reviewed, and hopefully enjoyed The Calm Before The Storm. I've enjoyed the ride, and I hope you have, too. Thank you so much.

Extra special thanks to ulyferal for being by beta. She makes me look good.

Feral's visitor has shown up in a previous work of mine. Their character has been tweaked though.

Where do you think the final scene is heading?

Once again, thanks for reading! Hope to see everyone in the next story.

Thanks,

AkaneKitty

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The Calm Before the Storm:

Daybreak

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"Good morning beautiful!"

"...Gunny, it ought to be a crime to be so damn bright eyed and bushy tailed so early in the morning!"

Felina, standing in the living room in her favorite buttoned up shirt, sleepily gripped her coffee cup as if to draw more caffeine from its contents. From his seat on the couch Razor, dressed in his leathers, smirked at her before returning to whatever he was working on, hunched over the coffee table.

It always amazed her that some toms could be so annoyingly alert and raring to go after so few hours of sleep. Uncle was like that. Gabriel lived for it. Now Razor added himself to the column. For herself, she did her best work at night, and loved the late shifts.

Besides, morning shifts tended to interrupt her post coital afterglow.

Stifling another yawn, Felina glanced out a window. "Looks like the sun will be coming up soon."

"Ah, I'd better get this finished then." Razor replied, fidgeting with something in his claws. "The more cover the darkness provides for me, the better."

Curious, Felina peered over Razor's shoulder. "What are you working on?"

"A present for you."

"Present?"

"Mmm, hmm. I would have had it finished before you woke up, but apparently I've been a bit out of practice." Razor glanced back at her. "Hey, do me a favor and come sit down in front of me. I need you to hold this."

Putting her coffee cup down, Felina walked around the couch and moved in front of Razor, sitting down on the floor. Reaching around her, the wizzo placed a triangular shaped object in the she-kat's paws before picking up some metal tools that were laid out on the table.

"What's this?"

"You'll see." Razor reached around her with both arms. "Oh, I took apart your radio for some spare parts. I hope you don't mind."

Felina rolled her eyes. "So what do I do?"

"Hold it steady. I'm trying to work on the circuit and it keeps sliding around on the table."

"I don't know..."

"Lieutenant, as a helicopter pilot I know you can hold the stick steady." Razor leaned in a bit closer, whispering in her ears, "Among other things."

Felina smirked. "Flattery gets you everywhere."

Chuckling, Razor resumed his tinkering on the device. "So, what do we do now regarding this killer robot situation?"

"For starters, you crack those memory chips with Hackle's tool while I go through the personnel records the professor has hopefully sent to headquarters. Other than that, we wait and hope nothing else happens."

"What do you think about Gabriel's role in all this?"

"Knowing that tom, he already knows what's going on." Felina snorted. "Once he thinks we're a potential helpful asset to his mission, only then will he confirm or deny any information we get from our own investigation. It's how he works."

"And the Contingency Plan?"

"It's something that keeps me from getting in trouble with my uncle for not reporting any of this." Felina sighed. "Since Gabriel is pretty much a legal vigilante, he can do whatever he has to do in

order to complete his mission. The Plan covers me if I break a few laws to help him out."

"Feral is okay with this?"

"Not really. As you know, he doesn't like vigilantes. But the Agency is over his head."

Razor finished tinkering and began messing around with his glovetrix. After a few minutes, he pressed a button in the center of the device. "Ok. Try talking."

Slightly confused, Felina glanced back at Razor before speaking into the device. "...Hello?"

A half a second later Felina heard her voice seemingly come through Razor's glovetrix with a bit of a squelch. The SWAT Kat was delighted.

"Bingo! And on the first try, too!"

"What is this?"

"A communicator. I can't depend on you being at your apartment, so this will allow me to keep in contact with you, especially when I finish cracking those chips."

Felina stared down at the little device. "I see..."

"And don't worry, it'll only contact me. T-Bone won't answer it." Razor glanced out the window near him. "I'd better go. It's starting to get too light outside."

Standing up, Felina looked at her new communicator as Razor jumped up quickly then went around the living room gathering up his tools and his jacket. Shrugging it on, he paused beside Felina and gathered her up in his arms. She grinned at him.

"So...no using this to call you when I'm horny?"

"Hey, I didn't say that. Besides, since when did we need an excuse?"

Razor bent down slightly to give Felina a lingering kiss, regretfully pulling away at the last possible second. Smiling, Felina punched him lightly in the arm.

"Go on Gunny. You don't want to get caught."

With one last look Razor hurried out of the living room, heading toward the garage. Felina looked back down at her communicator as she heard the garage door open and listened as Razor revved up his bike and peeled out.

"From now on, you can't be a stranger Gunny..."

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**Enforcer Headquarters**

He could get used to this.

Commander Feral sat at his desk, leisurely sipping coffee as he went over the morning reports from his majors.

In the past, these types of mornings were rare, as most of the time something requiring his attention happened in the city before he was able to get to his first cup of coffee. But since it seemed the resident megavillians had gone to ground, his mornings were a lot calmer and quieter lately.

Sitting back in his chair, Feral finished off his coffee. He could definitely get used to this.

Moments later Feral's intercom beeped, alerting him that Connie, his secretary, was trying to get his attention. Placing his mug back down on his desk, Feral leaned forward and pressed a button on his intercom.

"Yes, Connie?"

"Commander, you have a visitor."

Feral mentally reviewed his calendar. He wasn't supposed to have any visitors until this afternoon. "Who is it?"

"A representative from the Mao City consulate. Shall I send them in?"

Mao City. The eastern city-state where the majority of Siamese and other eastern breeds of kats lived. They were allies with Megakat City, and the Enforcers occasionally cross trained with its law enforcement body, the Mao City Corsairs. But why would someone from their consulate need to meet with him?

Pondering this for a moment, Feral spoke into the intercom. "Send them in, Connie. And hold my calls for the time being."

"Yes, sir."

Minutes later, his office door opened, and a Siamese looking she-kat stepped through. Feral fought to keep a smile off his face. No wonder the consulate representative wanted to meet him.

Pei Pei Umano.

He had met the Mao City Corsairs intelligence officer years ago during a cross training mission. And they had shared more than just information. In fact, they never really broke up, just drifted apart. She still looked the same, if not more mature. Her cream colored fur contrasted well against her black dress suit, and her long dark brown hair was twisted up into a French Roll. To look at her, one would think she was fully Siamese, but her svelte body, deep blue eyes, and plumed tail gave away her partial Balinese heritage. A very attractive she-kat, Feral figured she would be a model if she wasn't

an officer.

Fighting down some long forgotten feelings, Feral watched Pei Pei gracefully walk into his office, grasping a briefcase. Clearing his throat to gain her attention, he spoke to her in Siamese.

_"Nice to see you again, Pei Pei."_

Head snapping up, Pei Pei's eyes flashed with recognition when she finally saw Feral. Smiling, she replied in her slightly husky voice in Siamese as well.

_"Ulysses! It's been far too long."_

Standing up, Feral stepped around his desk and walked down the steps to where Pei Pei stood waiting. After a quick look around, she threw her arms around him, giving him a quick squeeze before releasing him just as fast. Dismayed that he wished her embrace lasted longer, he directed her to one of his office chairs.

"Your Siamese isn't rusty." Pei Pei commented, walking over to the seat Feral offered and sitting down. She placed her briefcase beside her chair.

"I've been practicing in our Siamesetown." Feral replied, taking the seat opposite of Pei Pei.

"I see."

"So, what can I do for a member of the Mao City Corsairs?"

Pei Pei reached down and opened up her briefcase, retrieving some papers. She handed them to Feral.

"Hmm...Major Pei Pei Umano, security attaché to the Mao City Consulate." Feral read aloud. He glanced up at her. "You've been promoted. Congratulations."

"Thank you. It was a couple of years ago."

"So...security attaché. In other words, a city-state spook."

Pei Pei tried her best to look innocent. "Who me?"

"We all know what attaché really means, Pei Pei."

The she-kat's look turned slightly seductive, leaning forward slightly to reveal some cleavage and crossing her legs to reveal a thigh high slit skirt. Once again Feral forced himself to keep a smile off his face. There was a reason Pei Pei was considered a heavy hitter in the intelligence community.

"I was hoping my ex-lover would look the other way." Pei Pei purred, running a paw along Feral's face. "For old times' sake."

"This ex-lover of yours can also have you kicked out of the city for not being forthright with your true reasons for being here." Feral allowed himself a small smile. "But that would cause a diplomatic incident, and we don't want that."

Pouting, Pei Pei immediately lost her seductive nature and sat back in her chair, crossing her arms. "You're no fun, Ulysses."

"So I've been told. Now tell me why are you're really here."

"Like it says in my paperwork. As security attaché, I advise the consulate on matters regarding the security of Mao City katizens and its interests here in Megakat City." Pei Pei shrugged. "We have had a few prominent Siamese families move here, so Mao City officials want me to keep an eye on them."

Feral raised an eyebrow. "So they send an intelligence officer for this?"

"Only because my Commander knows our history. It would be disingenuous for the Corsairs to send someone you don't know, especially if the consulate needs to keep in contact with the Enforcers." Pei Pei took on a sly look. "Besides, I sort of requested the assignment."

"Really. Why's that?"

"I missed you."

The way Pei Pei said those words struck Feral in an odd place, making him feel rather happy. Immediately thinking of Callie, he guiltily shifted his eyes away from Pei Pei. She sighed.

"But it seems it is for naught. You're obviously dating someone else."

"How do you know?"

"You haven't thrown me against your desk."

Feral stifled a laugh. "There are cameras everywhere, Pei Pei."

"Like that's stopped us before!" Pei Pei smirked. "Besides, I'm sure you know all the blind spots."

Feral could only shake his head as Pei Pei rose gracefully from her seat, pausing to retrieve her briefcase. "But I must go. I'm due to report to the consulate."

Feral stood up as well and escorted Pei Pei to his office door. Turning slightly, the she-kat stood on her claws to give him a quick kiss on the cheek.

"I'll keep in touch since I have an office at the consulate." Pei Pei said as she headed out the door. "Oh, and I would check my identification papers soon if I were you."

Curious, Feral headed back toward his borrowed seat and scooped up Pei Pei's papers with a paw. Rifling through them, he noticed a paw written phone number on one of the pages. It had a Mao City extension, so it had to be Pei Pei's alternate phone number. He smiled. Leave it to Pei Pei to keep a safe form of communication open at all times.

Stuffing the papers in a pocket in his overcoat, Feral headed back toward his desk. He still had the morning's reports to go over.

oOo oOo oOo oOo

**Megakat City Warehouse District**

Gabriel Leon stared at his target with binoculars. What was it about the criminal underworld that they liked meeting in warehouses so much?

Dressed in a snappy suit, Gabriel lowered the binoculars and pitched them through the open window of his car. The place looked just like Hermes had described. If he had his choice, he would do a more thorough recon, but he was pressed for time. And he couldn't risk tipping off the Syndicate to his true nature.

He smiled, remembering Hermes' consternation that the SWAT Kat had broken his jamming encryption. He had to admit, Razor would be a wonderful ally. Such skill and natural ability would make his personal war much easier.

But for some reason, on some basal level, he couldn't stand the tom! Every time he thought about the SWAT Kat being close to Felina his fur stand on end. Why? He should be grateful! The tom saved his life and gave him a great opportunity to further infiltrate the Syndicate.

"Son of a bitch!"

Gabriel could have smacked himself. He got himself locked in a dominance battle with the tom! No wonder they were at each other's throats. And he had to admit, Felina tended to have that effect on kats.

Glancing down at his watch, Gabriel noted the hour. It was time to meet with his potential employers. Extracting sunglasses from a pocket, he slipped them on. He had to play it just right, or he'd never get far within the Syndicate. Maybe the rage he felt regarding Razor could be put to good use.

It was time to become Jericho.

oOo oOo oOo oOo

**Katzmer's Curios**

The kat-in-the-box stood silent on a shelf. Closed, of course. It had to be. The whistling from that fool Katzmer was enough to drive even the most insane jester mad!

What a fool he was! He should have allowed himself to be drawn and quartered, not have his soul made ageless by the astute Mage of Time. And what a greater fool he was for seeking revenge against the King, Queen, Knight, and his replacement.

He should have used that time to look for her. The only who could truly free him from this blasted box. The one who was actually kind to him in those dark days.

The Knight's Daughter.

But now he had no power. Ever since the Knight's squires sliced his cap, he lost the majority of his abilities.

What a sad state he was in.

The kat-in-the-box felt his box being moved. The Whistler, of course.

"It's time to keep you out of sight, my friend. Carnival is coming up." Katzmer said, carrying the kat-in-the-box to a storage room. "You attract lots of customers before, but I'm not going to risk it this year."

Carnival? The kat-in-the-box mused. The Days of Mischief! Of course! He'd always felt stronger during those days. If he could harness the power, he wouldn't have a need for his cap!

Katzmer placed the kat-in-the-box on a shelf in the storage room, and resumed his whistling. This time, the ageless spirit didn't care. It was time to find the Knight's Daughter. And who knows? Maybe he could get a few laughs out of his nemeses after all.


End file.
